Use of penicillinase-resistant penicillins to increase the susceptibility of gram-negative bacteria to antibiotics.

Abstract

Article1 October 1967Use of Penicillinase-Resistant Penicillins to Increase the Susceptibility of Gram-Negative Bacteria to AntibioticsW. EDMUND FARRAR JR., M.D., F.A.C.P., NOEL M. O'DELL, B.S., JANE M. KRAUSE, A.B.W. EDMUND FARRAR JR., M.D., F.A.C.P.Search for more papers by this author, NOEL M. O'DELL, B.S.Search for more papers by this author, JANE M. KRAUSE, A.B.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-67-4-733 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptMany gram-negative bacteria elaborate beta-lactamases capable of inactivating penicillin and related antibiotics (1-4). The presence of such enzymes appears to be an important factor in the resistance of these bacteria to the penicillins and cephalosporins (5-8). On the other hand, certain semisynthetic penicillins, such as methicillin, are only slowly hydrolyzed by the penicillinases of gram-negative bacteria but may exhibit high affinities for these enzymes. The semisynthetic penicillins thus may form relatively stable enzyme-substrate complexes and are capable of competitively inhibiting the activity of betalactamases (9-13) even though they are relatively ineffective as antibacterial agents against gram-negative bacilli. This type of...