Effect of clindamycin, erythromycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline on growth and extracellular lipase production by propionibacteria in vitro.

Two propionibacteria identified as Propionibacterium acnes and Propionibacterium granulosum were grown anaerobically in the presence of growth subinhibitory concentrations (0.25 and 0.5 minimal inhibitory concentrations) of clindamycin, erythromycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline. Viable counts and assays of extracellular lipase were performed on samples taken at 24-h intervals over a 96-h period. The results showed that lincomycin and clindamycin could inhibit the production of the enzyme by both strains with little effect on their growth rates. Tetracycline caused inhibition of lipase production by P. granulosum only. Although production of the enzyme by P. acnes was delayed in the presence of tetracycline, the final titer was the same as the control. Erythromycin had little effect on growth and enzyme production of either strain. It is possible, therefore, that certain antibiotics used in acne therapy may act not only as bactericidal agents but also as inhibitors of enzyme production under non-growth-limiting conditions.