THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF AMOXYCILLIN CLAVULANIC ACID AGAINST STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS INGESTED BY HUMAN GRANULOCYTES/

The effect of amoxycillin, and amoxycillin/clavulanic acid on the in v itro interaction between human polymorphonuclear cells and a beta-lact amase producing strain of Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. Amox ycillin alone, at half the MIC, significantly inhibited the bacterial uptake by polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells compared with the control; as a consequence the killing of intracellular staphylococci was higher. C lavulanic acid did not have any significant effect upon the activities of phagocytes. The combination amoxycillin/clavulanic acid possesses beneficial properties which result in enhancement of both phagocytosis and microbicidal activity of PMN cells against the beta-lactamase pro ducing strain of S. aureus. A synergic effect between drugs and serum activity was noted.