INFLUENCE OF ADJUNCTIVE TICLOPIDINE ON THE TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS ENDOCARDITIS

Antiplatelet therapy has been shown to reduce the size of aortic veget ations in a rabbit model of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis. In add ition, adjunctive aspirin improved the sterilization rate as compared with antibiotic treatment alone. To study the influence of ticlopidine , another potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation, infected animals r eceived either vancomycin (Vm) alone or in combination with ticlopidin e. When ticlopidine was given prior to and during antimicrobial therap y, a reduction in vegetation weight was observed. Ticlopidine administ ered with antimicrobial therapy, not only caused a reduction in vegeta tion weight, but also improved the rate of sterilization. This study p rovides additional data regarding the potential clinical role of antip latelet agents in the treatment of endocarditis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.