Comparative activity of quinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin and garenoxacin) against extracellular and intracellular infection by Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in J774 macrophages.
OBJECTIVE
Quinolones accumulate in eukaryotic cells and show activity against a large array of intracellular organisms, but systematic studies aimed at examining their pharmacodynamic profile against intracellular bacteria are scarce. The present work aims at comparing intracellular-to-extracellular activities in this context.


METHODS
We assessed the activities of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin and garenoxacin against the extracellular (broth) and intracellular (infected J774 macrophages) forms of Listeria monocytogenes (cytosolic infection) and Staphylococcus aureus (phagolysosomal infection) using a range of clinically meaningful extracellular concentrations (0.06-4 mg/L).


RESULTS
All four quinolones displayed concentration-dependent bactericidal activity against extracellular and intracellular L. monocytogenes and S. aureus for extracellular concentrations in the range 1-4-fold their MIC. Compared at equipotent extracellular concentrations, intracellular activities against L. monocytogenes were roughly equal to those that were extracellular, but were 50-100 times lower against S. aureus. Because quinolones accumulate in cells (ciprofloxacin, approximately 3 times; levofloxacin, approximately 5 times; garenoxacin, approximately 10 times, moxifloxacin, approximately 13 times), these data show that, intracellularly, quinolones are 5-10 times less potent against L. monocytogenes (P=0.065 [ANCOVA]), and at least 100 times less potent (P < 0.0001) against S. aureus. Because of their lower MICs and higher accumulation levels, garenoxacin and moxifloxacin were, however, more active than ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin when compared at similar extracellular concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
Quinolone activity is reduced intracellulary. This suggests that either only a fraction of cell-associated quinolones exert an antibacterial effect, or that intracellular activity is defeated by the local environment, or that intracellular bacteria only poorly respond to the action of quinolones.
Seral
C
C
Unité de pharmacologie cellulaire et moléculaire, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Barcia-Macay
M
M
Mingeot-Leclercq
M P
MP
Tulkens
P M
PM
Van Bambeke
F
F
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001372:Aza Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D024841:Fluoroquinolones / Q000494:pharmacology; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D000077266:Moxifloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011804:Quinolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001372:Aza Compounds; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D011804:Quinolines; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D000077266:Moxifloxacin; C419689:garenoxacin