Effect of antibiotics on endotoxin release from gram-negative bacteria.

Antibiotics may inhibit bacterial growth or may kill bacteria by inhibiting cell wall synthesis or protein synthesis. The amount of endotoxin released during antibiotic action has been found to be clinically important. Nine antibiotics, representing seven classes, were studied for the amounts of endotoxin released during their action on susceptible strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Staphylococcus aureus, which produces no endotoxin, was used as a control organism. Aztreonam induced the highest release of endotoxin, whereas other antibiotics such as imipenem and the quinolones induced the lowest release of endotoxin. Although the quantities of endotoxin released are not easily explained from the established mechanisms of antibiotic action, our findings may have implications for therapy of the acutely ill, septic patient in whom release of large quantities of endotoxin may be catastrophic.