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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 1998, p. 895-898, Vol. 42, No. 4
0066-4804/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Impact of Bacterial Biofilm Formation on In Vitro and In Vivo Activities of Antibiotics

Silvia Schwank,1 Zarko Rajacic,2 Werner Zimmerli,2 and Jürg Blaser1,*

Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich,1 and Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel,2 Switzerland

Received 4 August 1997/Returned for modification 16 December 1997/Accepted 24 January 1998

The impact of bacterial adherence on antibiotic activity was analyzed with two isogenic strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis that differ in the features of their in vitro biofilm formation. The eradication of bacteria adhering to glass beads by amikacin, levofloxacin, rifampin, or teicoplanin was studied in an animal model and in a pharmacokinetically matched in vitro model. The features of S. epidermidis RP62A that allowed it to grow on surfaces in multiple layers promoted phenotypic resistance to antibiotic treatment, whereas strain M7 failed to accumulate, despite initial adherence on surfaces and growth in suspension similar to those for RP62A. Biofilms of S. epidermidis M7 were better eradicated than those of strain RP62A in vitro (46 versus 31%; P < 0.05) as well as in the animal model (39 versus 9%; P < 0.01).

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Medicine, D POL 40, University Hospital Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland. Phone: 41-1-255-3618. Fax: 41-1-255-4562. E-mail: dimjbl{at}usz.unizh.ch.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 1998, p. 895-898, Vol. 42, No. 4
0066-4804/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 1998 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.