title: A new in-vitro model to investigate antibiotic penetration of the intervertebral disc.
abstract: We have studied the ability of a range of antibiotics to penetrate intervertebral disc tissue in vitro, using a mouse disc model. Equilibrium concentrations of antibiotics incorporated into the entire disc were determined by bioassay using a microbial growth-inhibition method. Uptake was significantly higher with positively-charged aminoglycosides compared with negatively-charged penicillins and cephalosporins. Uncharged ciprofloxacin showed an intermediate degree of uptake. Our results support the hypothesis that electrostatic interaction between charged antibiotics and negatively-charged glycosaminoglycans in the disc is an important factor in antibiotic penetration, and may explain their differential uptake.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: R de W
authors.initials: Rde W
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Batten
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Want
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004058:Diffusion; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000378:metabolism*; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010539:Permeability; D012505:Sarcina / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents