title: Immunopharmacology of oral betalactams.
abstract: Among the oral beta-lactam antibiotics only cefaclor has demonstrated a consistent in vitro and in vivo immunopharmacological effect which favors phagocytic chemotaxis and antimicrobial potential by inducing a T-helper 1 or pro-inflammatory response. Together with cefpimizole, cefaclor significantly reduces the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against some bacterial species when cultured together with a suspension of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, as opposed to some other oral beta-lactams, co-amoxiclav and cefixime, which do not show this effect. The pro-inflammatory component of cefaclor's activity explains the clinical success of this antibiotic in a high percentage of cases, even when laboratory tests indicate in vitro resistance by the pathogen.
authors.affiliation: (Ret) Dept. Pharmacology, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Periti
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002433:Cefaclor / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; C038845:cefpimizole; D002433:Cefaclor