Search

In patients with different neurological diseases with blood-brain barrier dysfunction subjected to diagnostic CSF-tap, simultaneous determinations of ofloxacin concentrations in serum and in CSF were carried out. The results show that ofloxacin penetrates well into the CSF achieving adequate bactericidal concentrations against most of the common causative pathogens of meningitis.

A comparative study on the phagocytic capacity of human and rat polymorphonuclear leucocytes was performed. The activity of rat leucocytes was assessed by using the rat polyvinyl sponge model and the granuloma pouch model. Isolated human leucocytes were either suspended in buffer or homologous serum. Assessments of the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Klebsiella pneumoniae to the antimicrobial action of leucocytes revealed that the activity of normal human leucocytes and rat leucocytes was very similar, whereas human leucocytes obtained from chronically infected patients were significantly more active. Pretreatment of the bacteria with subinhibitory mezlocillin and azlocillin concentrations with or without immunoglobulin G rendered the bacteria more susceptible to the antimicrobial action of both types of leucocytes. Again results obtained by the different methods were very similar.

Ten strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from different clinical sources were incubated with immunoglobulin preparations for i.v. use. This resulted in the release of beta-lactamases normally cell-bound in the periplasmic space. The amount of released beta-lactamases - depending on the degree of cell wall alteration - was spectrophotometrically determined by the use of nitrocefin as an indicator substance. beta-lactamase release varies according to strain specificity and depends on the chemical modification of the immunoglobulins used.