title: Comparative bactericidal activity of penicillin-netilmicin and penicillin-gentamicin against enterococci.
abstract: The synergistic bactericidal activity of netilmicin in combination with penicillins was compared with that of gentamicin and streptomycin against 16 clinical isolates of enterococci. In a macrodilution chessboard assay against multiple combinations of penicillin, gentamicin and netilmicin, bactericidal activity uniformly occurred at two- to four-fold lower concentrations of penicillin + netilmicin than with penicillin + gentamicin. With four strains, penicillin + netilmicin produced up to ten-fold greater killing than penicillin + gentamicin after 6 h of incubation. With one strain, 3 X log10 greater killing occurred with netilmicin after 24 h. Netilmicin was two- to four-fold more active than gentamicin when combined with penicillinase-resistant penicillins. The bactericidal activity of netilmicin against enterococci is equal to or greater than that of gentamicin, either alone or when combined with penicillins.
mesh_terms: D004357:Drug Synergism; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects*; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009254:Nafcillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009428:Netilmicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins; D010406:Penicillins; D009254:Nafcillin; D009428:Netilmicin; D008712:Methicillin; D010068:Oxacillin; D013307:Streptomycin