EFFECT OF CEFEPIME (BMY-28142) ON THE HEMOLYTIC AND BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF SERUM IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO

The present study was undertaken to determine whether cefepime (BMY-28 142) could influence the hemolytic and bactericidal activity of serum both in vivo and in vitro. For the in vivo studies, mice (Swiss aged 1 5 +/- 2 weeks) were studied before and 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after an i ntramuscular injection of 200 mg/kg of cefepime. Likewise, another gro up of mice were injected for 7 days with a daily injection of the same dose as before, and sacrificed one hour after the last injection. For the in vitro studies, samples were incubated in the presence and abse nce of cefepime (1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 MIC against staphylococcus aureus) ( 2.5, 1.25 and 0.625 mg/l respectively). The results indicate that cefe pime at sublethal concentrations increases the bactericidal activity o f serum both in vivo and in vitro against S. aureus, but does not sign ificantly modify the hemolytic activity of the complement.