title: Therapeutic efficacy of buforin II and rifampin in a rat model of Acinetobacter baumannii sepsis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy of buforin II and rifampin in an experimental rat model of Acinetobacter baumannii sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized, controlled animal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research laboratory in a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Wistar rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The animals received intraperitoneally 1 mL saline containing 2 x 10 colony forming units of A. baumannii ATCC 19606 (model i) or the multiresistant strain (model ii). Immediately after bacterial challenge, animals received intravenously a single dose of isotonic sodium chloride solution (control groups C1 and C2), 1 mg/kg of buforin II, 10 mg/kg of rifampin, and 1 mg/kg of buforin II plus 10 mg/kg of rifampin, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lethality, bacterial growth in blood and tissue burden, endotoxin, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations in plasma. Buforin II showed good antimicrobial activity and achieved a significant reduction of plasma endotoxin and cytokines concentration when compared with control and rifampin-treated groups. Combination among buforin II proved to be the most effective treatment in reducing all variables measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In an experimental model, buforin II and rifampin might have a potential role in the treatment of severe infections due to A. baumannii.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. o.cirioni@univpm.it
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cirioni
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghiselli
authors.forename: Fiorenza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mocchegiani
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cianforlini
authors.forename: Maria Michela Cappelletti
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Trombettoni
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scalise
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giacometti