PERMEATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS THROUGH PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA BIOFILMS - A SIMPLE METHOD

In this study, we evaluated the permeation of piperacillin (PIPC), imi penem (IPM), amikacin (AKM), gentamicin (GM), ofloxacin (OFLX), levofl oxacin (LVFX), ciprofloxacin (CPFX) and sparfloxacin (SPFX) through Ps eudomonas aeruginosa biofilm with a simple new method, Bacteria used w ere a leucine-requiring mucoid mutant, Bacteria were grown on the memb rane of a cell culture insert in chemically defined medium and incubat ed at 37 degrees C far 5 days, At days 0, 1, 3 and 5, the penetration rates through the biofilms were measured, PIPC and IPM demonstrated re latively high permeation both with penetration rates at day 5 of 50%, whereas AMK and GM, which are aminoglycosides, showed low permeation b oth with penetration rates after day 1 of less than 25%, Among the 4 f luoroquinolones, LVFX and SPFX demonstrated excellent permeation with penetration rates that reached 100% from day 0 to 5, while OFLX and CP FX showed almost the same permeation as IPM. This method of measuring penetration rates of antimicrobial agents through biofilm is very simp le and useful for the evaluation of antibiotics against biofilm-formin g bacteria.