In vitro activity of tiamulin (81.723 HFU), a new pleuromulin derivative, against clinically significant anaerobes.

The susceptibility of more than 40 strains of Gram-negative and Gram-positive anaerobes to tiamulin (Sandoz 81.723 hfu), a new pleuromulin (pleuromutilin) derivative, was determined by broth dilution and agar dilution tests. The influences of density of the inoculum upon MICs was studied by a specially designed pour plate-technique. Bacteroides fragilis, B. vulgatus, B. splanchnicus, B. oralis, B. asaccharolyticus, B. melaninogenicus, Fusobacterium fusiforme (F. nucleatum), Sphaerophorus necrophorus, Clostridium perfringens, C. fallax, Propionibacterium acnes and several species of Peptococcaceae showed broth dilution MICs of 0.03 similar to 1 microgram/ml. Members of B. thetaiotaomicron, B. distasonis and S. freundii (F. mortiferum) were inhibited by 8 similar to 32 microgram/ml and 2 strains of S. varius had a broth dilution MIC of 256 microgram/ml. With most strains, the agar dilution MICs were 2 similar to 4 similar to 8 times the broth dilution MICs. In pour plate-tests, the MICs were not considerably influenced influenced by varying initial concentrations of viable cells. With most anaerobes, the MBCs of tiamulin were more than 100-fold higher than the MICs. The results obtained indicated that, apart from S. varius, B. thetaiotaomicron, B. distasonis and S. freundii (F. mortiferum), members of 16 other anaerobic species including B. fragilis were without exception sensitive to tiamulin.