Evaluation of azithromycin, trovafloxacin and grepafloxacin as prophylaxis against experimental murine Brucella melitensis infection

Atkins, Helen S.; Spencer, Stephen; Brew, Simon D.; Jenner, Dominic C.; Sefton, Armine M.; MacMillan, Alastair P.; Brooks, Timothy J.G.; Simpson, Andrew J.H.

doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2009.10.003

« Previous Next »International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
Volume 36, Issue 1 , Pages 66-68, July 2010

Evaluation of azithromycin, trovafloxacin and grepafloxacin as prophylaxis against experimental murine Brucella melitensis infection☆

Helen S. Atkins
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 1980 614 755; fax: +44 1980 614 307.
Stephen Spencer
- Department of Statutory and Exotic Bacterial Diseases, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
Simon D. Brew
- Department of Statutory and Exotic Bacterial Diseases, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
Dominic C. Jenner
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK
Armine M. Sefton
- Centre for Infectious Disease, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, Whitechapel, London E1 2AD, UK
Alastair P. MacMillan
- Department of Statutory and Exotic Bacterial Diseases, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
Timothy J.G. Brooks
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK
- Present address: Health Protection Agency Centre for Emergency Preparedness & Response, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK.
Andrew J.H. Simpson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK

Received 2 October 2009; accepted 2 October 2009. published online 21 December 2009.

Abstract

The prophylactic potential of the azalide azithromycin as well as the fluoroquinolones trovafloxacin and grepafloxacin was assessed for the control of infection with Brucella melitensis in an experimental mouse model, determined by reduction in splenic bacterial burden. Trovafloxacin showed limited protective efficacy when administered 2h following a low-dose B. melitensis challenge, whereas grepafloxacin was ineffective. In comparison, azithromycin provided significant control of infection both following low- and high-dose challenges. Overall, the data confirm the potential utility of azithromycin in the prophylaxis of brucellosis and suggest that neither trovafloxacin nor grepafloxacin would likely be valuable for post-exposure prophylaxis of Brucella infection.