Antibiotic treatment of experimental tularemia in mice with special reference to strong immunity established after treatment (author's transl)
Hyodo, S.
Nihon Saikingaku Zasshi. Japanese Journal of Bacteriology 33(4): 629-635
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-4930 PMID: 713036 Document Number: 127617
Antibiotic treatment of experimental tularemia was studied in mice. Antibiotics tested included streptomycin, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, kanamycin, chloramphenicol, leucomycin and erythromycin. Mice were inoculated s.c. with the virulent strain (Ebina) of Francisella tularensis. Antibiotic treatment started 48 h after inoculation. Drugs were given s.c. every 6 h for 10 days. All antibiotics tested were effective when administered in sufficient doses. The therapeutic efficacy of antibiotics appeared to have little relationship with cellular permeability, but were almost proportional to their bacteristatic activity in vitro. This contradicts the opinion that F. tularensis is an intracellular parasite. Drug sensitivity and virulence of the organisms isolated from surviving mice were equivalent to the original Ebina strain. After antibiotic treatment, a strong immunity was established in surviving mice to a large challenge dose of the virulent strain. Immunization with formalin-killed organisms of the virulent strain and with living organisms of the avirulent strain gave rise to a strong protective immunity equal to that established by immunization with living virulent organisms through antibiotic therapy.