Synergy between the iron chelator deferoxamine and the antimicrobial agents gentamicin, chloramphenicol, cefalothin, cefotiam and cefsulodin.

Synergy between the iron chelator deferoxamine in the presence or absence of ascorbic acid and gentamicin, chloramphenicol, cephalothin, cefotiam or cefsulodin, used against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, proteus mirabilis and species of Salmonella, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas and Providencia, was determined by measuring the effect of the drugs and combination of drugs on growth of the bacteria in an automated turbidimeter. The combination of drugs was considered to be synergistic when the growth inhibiting effect of the combination was greater than that of the combined action of each of the drugs separately. Deferoxamine plus ascorbic acid together with either gentamicin or cefsulodin showed synergy in 10 out of 10, and 5 out of 6 cultures respectively, whereas deferoxamine plus ascorbic acid with chloramphenicol, cephalothin or cefotiam was synergistic in 6 out of 14, 5 out of 11, and 3 out of 6 cultures. This synergistic effect was much lower when microorganisms were incubated with deferoxamine combined with the various antibiotics but without ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid alone had no synergistic effect. When deferoxamine was saturated with iron, its antibacterial effect was completely abolished.