title: Comparison of four antibiotics in a murine model of necrotizing cutaneous infections caused by toxigenic Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: The ability of azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, or cefuroxime to modify the course of group A streptococcus (GAS) or Staphylococcus aureus soft-tissue infection was compared in a mouse model. In GAS-infected mice given azithromycin, fewer demonstrated dermonecrosis (P = 0.0004); the average weight gain was greater (P < 0.05) and the latency to sustained weight gain was shorter (P < 0.05) than for animals given other antibiotics. All antibiotics were effective against S. aureus infections, with no significant differences among treatments in parameters evaluated. The effectiveness of azithromycin in GAS-infected mice may be related to the high and sustained tissue concentrations achieved with this antibiotic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Division of Infectious Disease, Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barg
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002444:Cefuroxime / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008812:Mice, Hairless; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004917:Erythromycin; D017963:Azithromycin; D017291:Clarithromycin; D002444:Cefuroxime