title: Comparison of the in vitro effects of amoxicillin and ampicillin on the polymorphonuclear neutrophil respiratory burst.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to compare the in vitro effects of amoxicillin and ampicillin on the oxidative metabolism of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Superoxide radical anion production by PMNs, stimulated or not by various exogenous stimulants and in contact with increasing antibiotic concentrations, was measured using spectrophotometric methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whereas a pro-oxidative action of amoxicillin on PMNs was obtained without exogenous stimulation or with opsonized zymosan (OZ), the O(2)(-) production by PMNs incubated with ampicillin did not increase significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This amoxicillin pro-oxidative effect could be due to the activation of the PMN NADPH oxidase, to its induction by a membrane effect or via the OZ pathway. It probably reinforces amoxicillin intrinsic bactericidal action and might partly explain the severe rashes sometimes occurring with amoxicillin treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Pharmacocinétique et Pharmacie Clinique, Université Lille 2-Faculté de Pharmacie, Lille Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Line
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Reynaert
authors.forename: Anne-Cécile
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hochart-Behra
authors.forename: Josette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Behra-Miellet
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gressier
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mine
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dine
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luyckx
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dubreuil
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brunet
mesh_terms: D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects*; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects*; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D013481:Superoxides; D000667:Ampicillin; D000658:Amoxicillin; D019255:NADPH Oxidases