THE INTRINSIC ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SELECTED SCLEROSING AGENTS INSCLEROTHERAPY

BACKGROUND. Detergent sclerosing agents may have intrinsic antimicrobi al properties. In addition, they may have synergistic effects with oth er antibiotics such as penicillin. They may induce suppression of intr insic resistance to penicillin in Staphylococcus aureus. OBJECTIVE. If is in this setting that the present study was carried out in order to determine the degree of suppression of resistance to methicillin and oxacillin in S. aureus by two detergent sclerosing solutions. METHODS. Four strains of S. aureus including a quality control strain were iso lated. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIG) of Sotradecol 1.0% a nd Polidocanol 0.5% were determined in Mueller Hinton Broth. These dil utions were subsequently seeded with 10(5) organisms of the strain of S. aureus being tested. Serial dilutions of penicillin were made and t hen the sclerosing agents were added in the appropriate dilutions. RES ULTS. Sotradecol 1.0% produced a MTC of 1/64 in two strains of S. aure us and 1/128 in two other variant strains. Polidocanol 0.5% produced a MIC of 1/64 against two strains of S. aureus and an MIC of 1/8 and 1/ 4 with two other variant strains. In addition, in three of the four S. aureus strains both sclerosing agents had synergistic activity with p enicillin and augmented its activity approximately 16-fold. CONCLUSION . This study presents the first successful modification in which deter gent sclerosing solutions influence methicillin resistance in a Staphy lococcal species. This points out a new potential therapeutic indicati on for this class of agents.