TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL ENDOCARDITIS DUE TO MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCUS-FAECIUM WITH CLINAFLOXACIN AND PENICILLIN

Clinafloxacin, a new quinolone antibiotic with enhanced activity again st Gram-positive bacteria, has demonstrated in-vitro activity against multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium, particularly when combined w ith penicillin. Rabbits with experimental endocarditis due to a multid rug-resistant strain of E. faecium were treated with clinafloxacin and /or penicillin. After three days of therapy, significant reduction of bacterial concentrations were found in vegetations, kidneys, and splee ns of animals treated with clinafloxacin. The combination of clinaflox acin and penicillin was significantly better in reducing vegetation ba cterial concentrations compared to the other groups (-4.4log(10)cfu/g compared with control). Serum levels of clinafloxacin consistently exc eeded the MIC of the strain, and clinafloxacin-resistant isolates coul d not be detected. Clinafloxacin demonstrated promising activity in vi vo against multidrug-resistant E. faecium, and further studies are war ranted.