title: Antimicrobial susceptibility tests on anaerobic oral mixed cultures in periodontal diseases.
abstract: The ecosystem of the dental plaque in periodontal diseases is very complex: the study of such micro-organisms, which are mostly strict anaerobes, requires the use of specific techniques under conditions of strict anaerobiosis. The aim of the present study was to design a rapid method to evaluate the activity of antimicrobials on mixed bacterial plaque of subjects with periodontal diseases. The study was carried out using a computerised instrument generally used for simultaneous diagnostic tests with aerobic bacteria. Operative and methodological modifications were made to obtain conditions of strict anaerobiosis and the balanced growth of all the microbial forms present in the mixed cultures of the plaque. Penicillins and cephalosporins were active on all the samples, whereas colistin, gentamicin, kanamycin and nalidixic acid showed no activity. Clindamycin, tetracycline, erythromycin and penicillin G were effective only against some samples. The activity of the antimicrobials towards isolated strains was analogous to that towards the corresponding mixed culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Microbiology, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pacini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zanchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Canzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003091:Colistin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004463:Ecology; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007612:Kanamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007613:Kanamycin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009268:Nalidixic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000494:pharmacology; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D005839:Gentamicins; D010406:Penicillins; D009268:Nalidixic Acid; D002981:Clindamycin; D007612:Kanamycin; D004917:Erythromycin; D013752:Tetracycline; D010400:Penicillin G; D003091:Colistin