In vivo efficacy of a broad-spectrum cephalosporin, ceftriaxone, against penicillin-susceptible and -resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae in a mouse pneumonia model

Abstract

The increasing emergence of penicillin-resistant (Pr) strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae could pose a therapeutic problem in the next few years. Ceftriaxone (CRO), a broad-spectrum cephalosporin, exhibits a smaller increase in MICs against Pr S. pneumoniae strains than amoxicillin (AMO) (usually referred as to the "gold standard" therapy for pneumococcal infections). Therefore, we compared their respective efficacies in a leukopenic Swiss mouse model of pneumococcal pneumonia. Infection was induced with two serotype 19 strains: a penicillin-susceptible (Ps) strain (MICs of < 0.01 for penicillin, 0.03 for AMO, and 0.03 for CRO) and a Pr strain (MICs of 4 for penicillin, 2 for AMO, and 0.5 for CRO). Untreated mice died within 2 or 3 days. Against the Ps strain, the minimal protective dose (two subcutaneous injections at 12-h intervals for 3 days) for both CRO and AMO was 5 mg/kg of body weight (87% survivors). Ten-fold-increased doses of CRO (50 mg/kg) gave similar protection (75% survivors) against the Pr strain, whereas 20- and 40-fold-increased doses of AMO protected 0 and 34% of the animals, respectively, against the Ps strain. CRO had a marked and prolonged antibacterial effect in the lungs (2.7-log-unit reduction of CFU in 24 h after a single 50-mg/kg injection) against the Pr strain in comparison with AMO. A standard dosage of 50 mg of CRO per kg in mice resulted in peak levels in serum and protein binding comparable to those observed with 1 g given intravenously in humans. This dosage remained effective against a highly Pr S. pneumoniae strain in this model. The microbiological activity and pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of CRO (time during which concentrations exceed the MIC for the test pathogen [delta t MIC], > or less than 8 h; and peak/MIC ratio, >90 for free active drug) accounted for its efficacy relative to AMO (50 mg/kg: delta t MIC, <2; peak/MIC ratio, <25) against the highly Pr S. pneumoniae strain used in this study.