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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, December 2003, p. 3764-3767, Vol. 47, No. 12
0066-4804/03/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/AAC.47.12.3764-3767.2003
Copyright © 2003, American
Society for
Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, The University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis,1 Section of Nephrology, Regions Hospital, St. Paul, Minnesota2
Received 16 July 2003/ Returned for modification 16 August 2003/ Accepted 31 August 2003
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20,000 to 30,000) of patients with end
stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States are managed with
peritoneal dialysis (PD). This number is increasing by nearly 6,000
patients per year and is expected to increase even further in the face
of increased economic pressure due to the lower cost of PD relative to
hemodialysis (
$32,000 versus $44,000/year)
(18).Moreover, PD allows greater patient freedom and spares the body from
large hemodynamic fluctuations when compared with hemodialysis
(18). The problem with PD has been, and continues to be, PD-associated peritonitis (PDAP). PDAP accounts for approximately 30 to 40% of all patient transfers to hemodialysis, represents the leading cause for hospitalization among patients on PD, and imposes a significant burden of morbidity and mortality (5, 6). Furthermore, several investigative groups have provided evidence suggesting that repeated or severe episodes of peritonitis may cause the peritoneal membrane to become unsuitable for dialysis, leading to technique failure, requiring either transfer to hemodialysis or transplantation to maintain life (4, 7, 13, 14).
The pathogens most commonly associated with peritonitis are gram positive. Approximately 28 to 32% of infections are caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis, 23 to 26% are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and 20% are caused by other gram-positive species (5). Present empirical therapy for peritonitis typically includes administration of a cephalosporin, usually cefazolin, mixed in the peritoneal dialysate fluid (PDF). Vancomycin is used in the setting of known or suspected beta-lactam resistance (8). However, the bacteriostatic nature of PDF may compromise the antibacterial activity of such cell wall-active agents (2, 10-12, 15, 19, 21).
Daptomycin is a novel cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic with rapid, bactericidal activity against gram-positive pathogens (16). Daptomycin is under clinical investigation for the treatment of gram-positive bacterial infections, including those caused by isolates resistant to other antibacterial agents. Daptomycin potentially offers a novel strategy for use against PDAP due to a unique mechanism of action, low incidence of resistance, and lack of cross-resistance with other antibacterial classes.
The purpose of this investigation was to compare the activity of daptomycin with that of cefazolin and vancomycin against the most common pathogens in cases of PDAP in the context of PDF-induced growth suppression. By use of an in vitro model, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus epidermidis (MSSE), and Streptococcus sanguis were exposed to three concentrations of daptomycin and the standard concentrations of vancomycin and cefazolin used in the treatment of PDAP. Additionally, this study examined the effect of pH on antibiotic activity and the potential for growth suppression following exposure to PDF.
(This work was presented in part at the 43rd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Chicago, Ill., 14 to 17 September 2003.)
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In vitro model. Concentration-time-kill curve experiments were conducted using a static in vitro model in order to emulate the conditions of PDF during an intraperitoneal dwell. The studies were performed using cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (CAMHB; Ca2+, 75 mg/liter; Mg2+, 25 mg/liter; Becton Dickinson Microbiology Systems, Sparks, Md.), or Todd Hewitt broth (THB; Becton Dickinson Microbiology Systems) for the Streptococcus isolate or commercially available 2.5% dextrose PDF (Baxter Dianeal PD-2; Baxter Healthcare Corp., Deerfield, Ill.) containing 25 g of dextrose/liter, 132 meq of Na+/liter, 3.5 meq of Ca2+/liter, 0.5 meq of Mg2+/liter, 96 meq of Cl-/liter, and 40 meq of lactate/liter, with no added amino acids, phosphate, or iron. Solution pH was adjusted, using sodium hydroxide or hydrogen chloride, to either 5.5, corresponding to the pH of freshly instilled PDF, or 7.4, corresponding to the pH of spent PDF following a 4-h intraperitoneal dwell. Forty milliliters of each solution was placed in a sterile, 50-ml, conical, screw-cap tube. Growth control experiments were conducted for each microorganism, at each pH, in both broth and PDF. In the experiments including antibiotic administration, an aliquot of bacteria was instilled into the tubes. Each experiment was run in duplicate for 24 h, and the models were placed in an incubator maintained at 37°C with CO2.
Bacteria. American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) isolates of MSSA (ATCC 29213), MRSA (ATCC 33592), MSSE (ATCC 12228), and S. sanguis (ATCC 10556) were used in the experiments. Prior to the concentration-time-kill experiments, several colonies of each isolate were incubated overnight in 5 ml of CAMHB (or THB for S. sanguis). The overnight cultures were diluted 1:5 in fresh, warm CAMHB (or THB for S. sanguis) and incubated for approximately 30 min prior to the experiments in order to provide the organisms with optimal growth conditions. This bacterial suspension was then compared to a 0.5 McFarland standard to determine the amount necessary to add to the tube to achieve a starting inoculum of 105 to 106 CFU/ml, which is comparable to the bacterial burden associated with PDAP (11).
Susceptibility testing. Susceptibilities to daptomycin, cefazolin, and vancomycin were tested in duplicate or triplicate for each isolate prior to concentration-time-kill experiments and for select isolates retrieved at 24 h postexposure. Susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution in CAMHB (plus 5% lysed horse blood for S. sanguis) according to NCCLS guidelines, with the exception of the calcium concentration (75 mg/liter). All isolates were subcultured onto fresh blood agar plates on at least three consecutive days prior to susceptibility testing.
Antibiotics. Stock solutions of daptomycin (Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Lexington, Mass.), cefazolin (Eli Lilly & Co., Indianapolis, Ind.), and vancomycin (Eli Lilly & Company) were prepared using the appropriate amount of sterile distilled water and stored at -80°C until needed for individual experiments. Antibiotics were administered as bolus injections once during the 24-h period.
Pharmacokinetics. Three concentrations of daptomycin, 10, 30, and 100 mg/liter, were used in this study for the purpose of exploring whether concentration-dependent activity would be evident in PDF. Typical intraperitoneal doses of cefazolin and vancomycin yield concentrations of 125 mg/liter and 20 to 50 mg/liter, respectively (8). Therefore, concentrations of 125 mg/liter for cefazolin and 25 mg/liter for vancomycin were simulated in the studies. Antibiotic concentrations were not corrected for protein binding because the reported concentration of protein in spent PDF, albeit in the absence of peritonitis, is between 0 and 3.5 g/dl (2, 11).
Pharmacodynamics. At predetermined timed intervals, samples of CAMHB (or THB for S. sanguis) or PDF were removed from the models for quantification of the bacterial density by a spiral plating technique (Autoplate 4000; Spiral Biotech, Inc., Norwood, Mass.). In the experiments requiring antibiotic administration, antibiotic was not added until the 2-h time point in order to allow the PDF to exert its growth-suppressive effect on the organisms. Antibiotic carryover was minimized by saline dilution and/or spiral plating. Six samples, at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 h, were removed for each 24-h experiment. Bacterial counts were determined by spiral plating 50 µl of the bacterial suspension onto Trypticase soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood.
After incubation for 18
to 36 h at 37°C with CO2, the numbers of
CFU on each plate were counted visually. The theoretical lower limit of
bacterial counting accuracy was 300 CFU/ml. Concentration-time-kill
curves were constructed by plotting the log10 CFU per
milliliter versus time, and estimates of the log10CFU per
milliliter below our theoretical lower limit were included.
Bactericidal activity was defined as a
3-log10
reduction in the bacterial burden. Time to 3-log10 kill
(T3K) was obtained by visual
inspection.
Statistical analysis. Regression analysis could not be performed because a consistent method of analysis could not be applied to all three antibiotics. T3K was analyzed via two-tailed paired t test for statistical differences between the different solutions, pHs, and antibiotics. Significance was defined as a P value of <0.05. All graphing and statistical analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel 2000 (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash.).
Post-PDF-exposure studies. We conducted post-PDF-exposure studies in an attempt to elucidate the duration of growth suppression induced by PDF exposure after the microorganisms were transferred to growth-supporting media. These studies were modeled after the procedures commonly used to determine the presence of a postantibiotic effect (3). Specifically, 10 ml of CAMHB (or THB for S. sanguis) were inoculated with several colonies of each organism. Five serial 10-fold dilutions were made, followed by overnight incubation at 37°C with CO2. The overnight cultures were compared to a 0.5 McFarland standard, and 100 µl of the overnight culture that most closely approximated a 0.5 McFarland standard was inoculated into each 9.9-ml portion of CAMHB (or THB for S. sanguis) and PDF to achieve a starting inoculum of 106 CFU/ml. The bacterial suspensions were then incubated for 2 h at 37°C with CO2. Following incubation, 40 ml of fresh, warm CAMHB (or THB for S. sanguis) was inoculated with an appropriate amount of the incubated suspension, as determined via comparison to a 0.5 McFarland standard, to achieve an inoculum of 104 to 105 CFU/ml. Four samples were withdrawn at predetermined time intervals for bacterial density quantification by serial saline dilution. Bacterial counts were determined by a 1:10 serial dilution of 100 µl of medium into saline that was plated onto Trypticase soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep blood. After incubation for 18 to 36 h at 37°C with CO2, the colonies on each plate were counted visually, using the previously mentioned theoretical lower limit of bacterial counting accuracy. We defined the post-PDF-exposure effect (P-PDF-E) as T - C, where T is the time required for the CFU in the post-PDF-exposure culture to increase 1 log10 above the count at time zero and C is the time required for the CFU in the CAMHB (or THB for S. sanguis) culture to increase 1 log10 above the count at time zero. After equalization of the starting inocula, the times were calculated using a linear equation with the slope and the starting inoculum being the known variables.
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Post-PDF-exposure
studies.
The P-PDF-E was most
pronounced with MSSA, with a calculated value of 2.6 h (Fig.
1). The P-PDF-Es were 1.9 h for MRSA, 1.8 h for MSSE,
and 0.8 h for S. sanguis. Since the most common
exchange duration with PD is
4 h, this effect on bacterial
growth may be of clinical
significance.
![]() View larger version (10K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 1. Post-PDF-exposure
growth (growth in CAMHB after a 2-h exposure to PDF) of MSSA compared
to post-CAMHB-exposure growth (growth in CAMHB after a 2-h exposure to
CAMHB).
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FIG. 2. Daptomycin,
vancomycin, and cefazolin against MRSA in CAMHB at a pH of 5.5. GC,
growth control; D-10, daptomycin at 10 mg/liter; D-30, daptomycin at 30
mg/liter; D-100, daptomycin at 100 mg/liter; Van, vancomycin; Cef,
cefazolin; LLA, lower limit of accuracy. Antibiotic was not added until
the 2-h time point. Plotted data represent the means for duplicate
simulations.
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FIG. 3. Daptomycin,
vancomycin, and cefazolin against MSSA in CAMHB at a pH of 7.4.
Antibiotic was not added until the 2-h time point. Plotted data
represent the means for duplicate simulations. For abbreviations, see
the legend to Fig.
2.
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FIG. 4. Daptomycin,
vancomycin, and cefazolin against MRSA in PDF at a pH of 5.5.
Antibiotic was not added until the 2-h time point. Plotted data
represent the means for duplicate simulations. For abbreviations, see
the legend to Fig.
2.
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FIG. 5. Daptomycin,
vancomycin, and cefazolin against MSSA in PDF at a pH of 7.4.
Antibiotic was not added until the 2-h time point. Plotted data
represent the means for duplicate simulations. For abbreviations, see
the legend to Fig.
2.
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An important issue regarding the use of agents such as beta-lactams or vancomycin in the setting of PDAP relates to the growth pattern of bacteria in PDF. These cell wall-active agents require actively growing bacteria to exert their influence (1, 17). However, PDF has been shown to compromise the efficacy of cell wall-active agents, suggesting a bacteriostatic effect of PDF on the microorganisms, which may be clinically significant (2, 10-12, 15, 19, 21). The results of the post-PDF-exposure studies suggest that some of the difficulties encountered when treating PDAP may be due to the combination of the mechanisms of action of the antibiotics typically used to treat these infections, namely cefazolin and vancomycin, and bacterial growth suppression by PDF.
PDAP may represent an excellent use for
daptomycin. Daptomycin exhibits rapid, bactericidal activity against
most gram-positive organisms as well as a prolonged postantibiotic
effect (16). Moreover,
the results of this study suggest that daptomycin is active against
bacteria in both a stationary or exponential growth phase. Although the
protein binding of daptomycin in serum is high (
90%)
(16), drug sequestration
due to albumin binding is likely less important in the PD setting. The
intraperitoneal albumin concentration immediately after placement in
the peritoneal cavity is extremely low (near zero) because the fresh
dialysate does not contain albumin. The albumin concentration rises
slowly during the dwell within the peritoneal cavity, a process that
may be accelerated by peritonitis, but the concentration remains
relatively low. Since antibiotic administration for PDAP is usually
intraperitoneal, the low protein concentration in PDF increases the
free concentration of the drug. Furthermore, intraperitoneal
administration decreases the exposure of the extraperitoneal space to
the drug, reducing the likelihood of adverse effects. Moreover, the
antibacterial activity of daptomycin is dependent on the concentration
of free calcium ions (9;
N. S. Oliver, V. Laganas, M. Bouchard, I. B. Parr,
and J. A. Silverman, Abstr. 41st Intersci. Conf. Antimicrob.
Agents Chemother., abstr. 1801, 2001), and the concentration of calcium
in PDF is high (
70 mg/liter), which augments antimicrobial
efficacy.
Daptomycin appears to be a promising agent for use in PDAP, producing bacterial kill to a greater extent and at a higher rate than cefazolin or vancomycin in PDF. The activity of daptomycin does not appear to depend on the metabolic activity of the bacteria, allowing the drug to exert a bactericidal effect in the bacteriostatic environment of PDF. The potential for daptomycin to exert a similar effect on bacteria in the metabolically less active, yet clinically important, sessile state remains to be determined, but the ability to kill in the stationary phase is provocative in this context. The duration of present treatment regimens for PDAP is usually 10 to 14 days (21 days recommended for S. aureus), with many patients needing treatment extensions (8). Recent studies have revealed an ominous increase in the incidence of antibiotic resistance, most notably among gram-positive organisms, in PD patients (20). More efficient bacterial killing may allow for shorter courses of therapy for PDAP, may prevent further development of antimicrobial resistance, and may prolong the use of the peritoneal membrane for PD by diminishing the time-weighted exposure of the membrane to inflammatory mediators (4). Based on the findings of this study, we are pursuing clinical testing of daptomycin in patients afflicted with PDAP.
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