[Antimicrobial Properties of Eremoxylarin A Produced by Ascomycete of Sordariomycetes in Submerged Culture].

The fungal strain INA 01108 producing antibiotic substances with broad spectrum of antibacterial activity was isolated from the natural environment. By the morphological characteristics and DNA analysis it was shown to belong to Ascomycetes of Sordariomycetes. In submerged culture the strain produced at least four antibiotics. The major component of them was identified as eremophilane-type sesquiterpene eremoxylarin A. Eremoxylarin A is effective in vitro against grampositive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin group glycopeptide antibiotics resistant Leuconostoc mesenteroides VKPM B-4177. The efficacy and toxicity of eremoxylarin A was determined on a murine staphylococcal sepsis model. The dose of 6.25 mg/kg provided 100% recovery and survival of the animals, while the dose of 3.12 mg/kg was close to the ED50. The chemical structure of eremoxylarin A allows to modify the antibiotic and such studies may be relevant to design a less toxic derivative without loss of the valuable antimicrobial properties.

[Selection of antibacterial therapy for treatment of infections in elderly patients]. / Vybor antibakterial'noi terapii pri lechenii infektsii u lits pozhilogo vozrasta.

Examination of 60 elderly outpatients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) revealed that 73 per cent of the patients isolated the pathogen associations and only 27 per cent isolated the monocultures. Grampositive cocci including Streptococcus pneumoniae were isolated from 70 per cent of the patients, Haemophilus influenzae and H.parainfluenzae were isolated from 20 per cent of the patients and Acinetobacter spp., Citrobacter spp., Enterobacter spp., Proteus spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginsa were isolated from 10 per cent of the patients. The patients were treated with ciprofloxacin, cefaclor or amoxycillin/clavulanic acid. Ciprofloxacin proved to be the most efficient agent. The regimens of the ofloxacin use in a dose of 400 mg orally once a day or in a dose of 200 mg intravenously twice a day for 2-4 days followed by the oral use for 6-8 days in the treatment of 24 patients with LRTI hospitalized into a therapeutic unit were compared. it was shown (pharmacokinetically as well) that the regiment with the drug use in the single dose was more efficient. Lomefloxacin was suggested to be the most advantageous drug in the treatment of elderly patients with LRTI because of its easy use, practically no dependence of the pharmacokinetics on the patient age and almost no nephrotoxic action.

[Treatment of lower respiratory tract infections in the elderly]. / Lecheniie infektsil nizhnikh dykhatel'nykh putel u lits pozhilogo vozrasta.

Sixty outpatients at the age of 65 to 75 years with exacerbated chronic bronchitis were treated with antibiotics: amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (20 patients), cefaclor (20 patients) and ciprofloxacin (20 patients). The treatment course in all the cases was 5 days. Bacteriological tests of the sputum specimens and estimation of the isolate antibiotic susceptibility by the disk diffusion method were applied to all the patients before and after the treatment. 73 per cent of the patients had mixed infection. The microflora mainly included various species of streptococci highly susceptible to the drugs (54 per cent) as well as highly susceptible strains of pneumococci and hemophilic bacilli (33 and 17 per cent respectively). Atypical microflora was detected in 10 per cent of the cases. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were isolated in 2 cases. Acinetobacter sp. slightly susceptible only to ciprofloxacin was isolated in 1 case. Citrobacter sp. slightly susceptible to cefaclor and moderately susceptible to ciprofloxacin was detected in 1 case. Enterobacter sp. moderately susceptible only to ciprofloxacin was isolated in 1 case. A positive factor was moderate susceptibility of Proteus mirabilis to all the three drugs. In 24 patients (the average age of 54.7 years) the pharmacokinetics of ofloxacin administered under 2 different regimens was studied. The drug was used in a single dose of 400 mg once a day (group 1) or in a dose of 200 mg twice a day (group II) followed by estimation of the drug concentration in the blood and sputum. The pathogen eradication was stated in 61.5 and 72.7 per cent of the patients in groups I and II, respectively. By the results of the treatment with the use of the above mentioned antibiotics in the elderly patients fluoroquinolones should be considered preferable from the clinical and pharmacoeconomic viewpoints.