Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy logoLink to Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
. 1980 Nov;18(5):807–813. doi: 10.1128/aac.18.5.807

Killing of oxacillin-exposed staphylococci in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

V Lorian, B Atkinson
PMCID: PMC284095  PMID: 7447433

Abstract

Twelve strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients and two collection strains were grown on membranes placed on agar containing subminimal inhibitory concentrations of oxacillin. Clusters of staphylococci held together by thick cross walls resulted. These organisms, as well as the same strains grown in the same way on drug-free medium (control), were eluted from the membranes and were incubated with human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) from various donors. Phagocytosis was comparable for both staphylococci exposed to oxacillin and control staphylococci, but the killing effect was different. The staphylococci grown on membranes in the presence of oxacillin were less susceptible to killing than the control staphylococci, but the killing effect was different. The staphylococci grown on membranes in the presence of oxacillin were less susceptible to killing than the control staphylococci. After 0.5 and 1 h of incubation with PMNs, the killing rates for oxacillin-grown versus control staphylococci were 52 and 70% and 65 and 85%, respectively (P < 0.01). After 2 and 3 h of incubation, the killing was similar. Most clusters of staphylococci contain a few individual cells that are located in the center of the cluster and are surrounded by other staphylococci; therefore, they are protected from adverse agents in the environment. This could explain why the phagocytized clusters are less susceptible than control staphylococci to the killing effect of PMNs during the first hour of incubation. Oxacillin does not penetrate into PMNs and in the absence of the drug the cross walls lyse, liberating the constituent staphylococci. This coincides with the increase in the percentage of cluster killing by PMNs after 2 and 3 h of incubation.

Full text

PDF
807

Images in this article

809Image
on p.809
810Image
on p.810
811Image
on p.811

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alexander J. W., Good R. A. Effect of antibiotics on the bactericidal activity of human leukocytes. J Lab Clin Med. 1968 Jun;71(6):971–983. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dutcher B. S., Reynard A. M., Beck M. E., Cunningham R. K. Potentiation of antibiotic bactericidal activity by normal human serum. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1978 May;13(5):820–826. doi: 10.1128/aac.13.5.820. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. FLEMING A., VOUREKA A., KRAMER I. R. H., HUGHES W. H. The morphology and motility of Proteus vulgaris and other organisms cultured in the presence of penicillin. J Gen Microbiol. 1950 May;4(2):257–269. doi: 10.1099/00221287-4-2-257. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Friedman H., Warren G. H. Antibody-mediated bacteriolysis: enhanced killing of cyclacillin-treated bacteria. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1976 Nov;153(2):301–304. doi: 10.3181/00379727-153-39533. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Friedman H., Warren G. H. Enhanced susceptibility of penicillin-resistant staphylococci to phagocytosis after in vitro incubation with low doses of nafcillin. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1974 Jul;146(3):707–711. doi: 10.3181/00379727-146-38177. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Giesbrecht P., Wecke J., Reinicke B. On the morphogenesis of the cell wall of staphylococci. Int Rev Cytol. 1976;44:225–318. doi: 10.1016/s0074-7696(08)61651-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Jit Sud I., Feingold D. S. Detection of agents that alter the bacterial cell surface. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1975 Jul;8(1):34–37. doi: 10.1128/aac.8.1.34. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lorian V., Atkinson B. A. Effect of serum and blood on Enterobacteriaceae grown in the presence of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of ampicillin and mecillinam. Rev Infect Dis. 1979 Sep-Oct;1(5):797–806. doi: 10.1093/clinids/1.5.797. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lorian V., Atkinson B. Abnormal forms of bacteria produced by antibiotics. Am J Clin Pathol. 1975 Nov;64(5):678–688. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/64.5.678. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lorian V., Atkinson B. Comparison of the effects of mecillinam and 6-aminopenicillanic acid on Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1977 Mar;11(3):541–552. doi: 10.1128/aac.11.3.541. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lorian V., Atkinson B. Effect of serum on gram-positive cocci grown in the presence of penicillin. J Infect Dis. 1978 Dec;138(6):865–871. doi: 10.1093/infdis/138.6.865. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lorian V., Atkinson B. Effects of subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics on cross walls of cocci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1976 Jun;9(6):1043–1055. doi: 10.1128/aac.9.6.1043. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lorian V., Atkinson B. Effects of subinhibitory concentrations of fosfomycin on bacteria. G Ital Chemioter. 1977 Jul-Dec;23(2):65–74. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lorian V. Some effect of subinbilitory concentrations of penicillin on the structure and division of staphylococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1975 Jun;7(6):864–867. doi: 10.1128/aac.7.6.864. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mandell G. L. Interaction of intraleukocytic bacteria and antibiotics. J Clin Invest. 1973 Jul;52(7):1673–1679. doi: 10.1172/JCI107348. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mickenberg I. D., Root R. K., Wolff S. M. Leukocytic function in hypogammaglobulinemia. J Clin Invest. 1970 Aug;49(8):1528–1538. doi: 10.1172/JCI106370. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Pruul H., McDonald P. J. Enhancement of leukocyte activity against Escherichia coli after brief exposure to chloramphenicol. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 Dec;16(6):695–700. doi: 10.1128/aac.16.6.695. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Quie P. G., White J. G., Holmes B., Good R. A. In vitro bactericidal capacity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes: diminished activity in chronic granulomatous disease of childhood. J Clin Invest. 1967 Apr;46(4):668–679. doi: 10.1172/JCI105568. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. ROGERS D. E., TOMPSETT R. The survival of staphylococci within human leukocytes. J Exp Med. 1952 Feb;95(2):209–230. doi: 10.1084/jem.95.2.209. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Warren G. H., Stasny J. T. Electron microscopic study of the action of nafcillin on Staphylococcus aureus. Chemotherapy. 1968;13(6):356–361. doi: 10.1159/000220569. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES