Lysostaphin in experimental renal infections.

By use of a renal staphylococcal infection model in mice, single intravenous doses of lysostaphin ranging from 1.56 to 50 mg/kg were effective in: (i) controlling the staphylococcal population of kidneys, (ii) reducing the mortality rate, and (iii) clearing high numbers of kidneys of infection. Semisynthetic penicillins and other antistaphylococcal antibiotics given in the same manner did not have significant activity. Only by the administration of a long-acting, depot form of penicillin (Bicillin) could results comparable to those seen with lysostaphin be obtained. The results of this study suggest that lysostaphin may be useful in staphylococcal septicemias in preventing the establishment of new foci of infection.