title: Bactericidal action of oral ampicillin/sulbactam against Mycobacterium leprae.
abstract: We reported previously that an injectable form of ampicillin/sulbactam, Unasyn, was bactericidal to Mycobacterium leprae multiplying in mouse foot pads. In this study, we examined the effect of an orally active form of ampicillin/sulbactam, Sultamicillin, on the growth of M. leprae in mice. Three concentrations of the drug, mixed with the feed, were administered from the start until the mice were killed at 6 months; 0.01% of the drug inhibited bacterial growth by 54%, 0.10% by 74% and 0.20% by 93%. To test whether oral ampicillin/sulbactam was bactericidal, 0.50% of the drug, mixed with the feed, was administered to experimentally infected mice for 3 months during the logarithmic phase of bacterial growth, and then discontinued; multiplication of the bacilli was monitored monthly for the next 8 months. The results showed that orally active ampicillin/sulbactam is bactericidal to M. leprae.
authors.affiliation: Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease Center at Louisiana State University, US Public Health Service, Baton Rouge 70894-5072, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Randhawa
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prabhakaran
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000382:microbiology; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008954:Models, Biological; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D013407:Sulbactam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C035444:sultamicillin; D000667:Ampicillin; D013407:Sulbactam