Metronidazole and Spiramycin Therapy of Mixed Bacteroides spp. and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection in Mice

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Abstract
The in vitro and in vivo activity of metronidazole and spiramycin, used singly or in combination, was tested in the eradication of infection caused by Bacteroides spp. and Neisseria gonorrhoeae alone or in combination. The in vitro tests consisted of determinations of the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC), carried out with or without the addition of a constant amount of the other antimicrobials. The MIC of both Bacteroides bivius and Bacteroides fragilis for metronidazole were significantly reduced by the addition of spiramycin (from 0.5 to 0.125 μg/ml). The in vivo tests were carried out in mice and consisted of measurements of the effects of the antimicrobial agents on the bacterial contents of abscesses induced by subcutaneous injection of bacterial suspension. Synergism between metronidazole and spiramycin was noted against Bacteroides spp. in abscesses caused by either Bacteroides spp. alone, or in combination with N. gonorrhoeae. Furthermore, an additional reduction in the number of N gonorrhoeae was noted in mixed infection with Bacteroides that was treated with metronidazole alone. This study demonstrates the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of the combination of metronidazole and spiramycin in the treatment of infections caused by either Bacteroides spp. alone or in combination with N. gonorrhoeae.1 The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private ones of the writer and are not be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the Naval Service at large. The experiments conducted herein were conducted according to the principles set forth in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Research Council, NH Publ. No. 85–23.

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