J. A. Waitz

Biological Activity of Netilmicin, a Broad-Spectrum Semisynthetic Aminoglycoside Antibiotic

Netilmicin (Sch 20569) is a new broad-spectrum semisynthetic aminoglycoside derived from sisomicin. Netilmicin was compared to gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin in a variety of in vitro test systems as well as in mouse protection tests. Netilmicin was found to be similar in activity to gentamicin against aminoglycoside-susceptible strains in both in vitro and in vivo tests. Netilmicin was also active against many aminoglycoside-resistant strains of gram-negative bacteria, particularly those known to possess adenylating enzymes (ANT 2′) or those with a similar resistance pattern. Netilmicin was found to be markedly less toxic than gentamicin in chronic studies in cats, although gentamicin appeared less toxic in acute toxicity tests in mice. The concentrations of netilmicin and gentamicin in serum were compared in dogs after intramuscular dosing, and the pharmacokinetics including peak concentrations in serum were found to be similar.

Comparative Activity of Sisomicin, Gentamicin, Kanamycin, and Tobramycin

Gentamicin, sisomicin, tobramycin, and kanamycin were compared in parallel tests in vitro and in vivo against a variety of bacterial strains and species. A number of differences were seen in vitro, in particular: (i) the lower activity of kanamycin, (ii) the greater activity of tobramycin against Pseudomonas, (iii) the greater activity of gentamicin and sisomicin against Serratia, and (iv) the generally similar results with tobramycin, gentamicin, and sisomicin against species other than Pseudomonas and Serratia, with the ranking in order of decreasing activity being sisomicin, gentamicin, and tobramycin. Analysis of disc test results suggested that the gentamicin disc is not adequate for testing the susceptibility of all bacteria to sisomicin or tobramycin. In vivo tests did not confirm all specifics of in vitro tests; results of in vivo tests indicated that sisomicin may be the most active. It is suggested that the place of each of the antibiotics in human therapy can best be evaluated by more rigorous in vivo tests and clinical studies rather than extensive in vitro comparisons.

Verdamicin, a New Broad Spectrum Aminoglycoside Antibiotic

Verdamicin is a new aminoglycoside antibiotic isolated from fermentation broths of a species of the genus Micromonospora, M. grisea. It has been differentiated from other known related antibiotics by a variety of chemical and biological methods. Its in vitro and in vivo spectrum of activity appears to be similar to those of gentamicin and sisomicin.

Chemotherapeutic Evaluation of 5-Episisomicin (Sch 22591), a New Semisynthetic Aminoglycoside

5-episisomicin (Sch 22591) is a novel semisynthetic aminoglycoside with a spectrum and potency similar to gentamicin in its activity against susceptible bacterial strains, but with increased potency against Pseudomonas, Providencia, and Proteus rettgeri. It is also more active than tobramycin and amikacin against these last-mentioned species. Against resistant strains, Sch 22591 is significantly more active than gentamicin or tobramycin. Against resistant gram-negative bacteria other than Pseudomonas, Sch 22591 has activity similar to that of amikacin, but Sch 22591 is more potent. Against Pseudomonas strains, it is active against most gentamicin- and tobramycin-resistant strains and is more active than the other three antibiotics. Some Pseudomonas strains are resistant to Sch 22591, but susceptible to amikacin. Against a selection of aminoglycoside-resistant staphylococci, Sch 22591 has very good activity against strains resistant to tobramycin, amikacin, and gentamicin. The superior in vitro potency of Sch 22591 against Pseudomonas has been confirmed in vivo in experimental infections in mice. Absorption in dogs is similar to that of other aminoglycoside antibiotics. The acute toxicity of Sch 22591 in mice is greater than that of gentamicin; its vestibular toxicity potential and nephrotoxicity potential in cats and rats appear to be similar to those of gentamicin.

Biological Activity of Antibiotic G-418, a New Micromonospora-Produced Aminoglycoside with Activity Against Protozoa and Helminths

On the basis of parallel in vitro studies with antibiotic G-418, gentamicin, neomycin, and kanamycin, antibiotic G-418 was found to be less potent than gentamicin but more active than either kanamycin or neomycin against most strains, with the exception of Pseudomonas, for which neomycin was more active than antibiotic G-418, and enterococci, for which antibiotic G-418 was more active than the other three antibiotics. Mouse protection tests indicated that antibiotic G-418 is approximately half as potent as gentamicin and its acute toxicity is one-half to one-third that of gentamicin.

New Polyene Antifungal Antibiotic Produced by a Species of Actinoplanes

A new species of Actinoplanes, which has been deposited with the designation NRRL 5325 at the Northern Utilization Research and Development Division of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, produces a polyene antifungal complex designated as Sch 16656. The complex, consisting of one major and three minor components, is isolated from the fermentation broth by a solvent extraction procedure and purified by precipitation methods. The major component is a heptaene and is highly active in vitro and in vivo against Candida albicans. It is active also against strains of Torulopsis and is significantly more potent orally than candicidin in mice against Candida infections. Images

Biological Activity of Sch 14342, an Aminoglycoside Antibiotic Coproduced in the Gentamicin Fermentation

Sch 14342 is an aminoglycoside antibiotic coproduced as a minor component in the gentamicin fermentation. Sch 14342 was found to have the same antibacterial spectrum as gentamicin in vitro and in vivo, and was approximately one-third as active in mouse protection tests. Sch 14342 relative to gentamicin was one-third as toxic in acute tests in mice, one-eighth as toxic in renal toxicity tests in dogs, and an estimated one-tenth as toxic in cat ataxia tests. Sch 14342 possesses a significantly improved therapeutic index relative to gentamicin with reference to ataxia potential and renal toxicity.

Discovery and isolation of sisomicin

SummarySisomicin was isolated from fermentation broths of a new species of the genus Micromonospora, specifically M. inyoensis, and was differentiated from other related antibiotics by a variety of chemical and biological methods. Chromatographic and analytical data indicated that it differed from gentamicin C1a only by the presence of a double bond in one of the amino sugar constituents. Sisomicin was found to be up to five times as active as gentamicin in vitro and in mouse protection studies against selected organisms.ZusammenfassungSisomicin wurde aus der Fermentationsbrühe eines neuen Stamms der Gattung Micromonospora, nämlich M. inyoensis, isoliert und durch eine Vielzahl chemischer und biologischer Methoden von anderen verwandten Antibiotika differenziert. Chromatographische und analytische Daten zeigten, daß es sich nur durch eine Doppelbindung einer der Aminozuckerkomponenten von Gentamicin C1a unterscheidet. Sisomicin war gegen ausgewählte Stämme in vitro und bei Tierversuchen mit infizierten Mäusen (‘mouse protection study’) bis zu fünfmal wirksamer als Gentamicin.

Antibiotic Biosynthesis by Cofermentation of Blocked Mutants of Two Micromonospora Species

Two aminocyclitol-negative Micromonospora mutants representing two different species, M. purpurea and M. inyoensis, and blocked at different steps in the biosynthetic pathway were paired and cofermented for the synthesis of antibiotics. The two blocked mutants were incapable of producing antibiotics alone except when 2-deoxystreptamine was added. When combined they produced gentamicins A, X2, C1a, and C2b, which all have an amino group at the 2′ position, and gentamicin B, which has a hydroxyl group at this position instead. Images

Biosynthetic pathway leading to gentamicin C2b.

Incubation of Micromonospora purpurea SC 1210 (NRRL 5467) with L-[methyl-14C]methionine yielded [methyl-14C]gentamicin A and methyl-14C-labeled antibiotic JI-20A in a molar radioactivity ratio of 9:2. We did not isolate methyl-14C-labeled gentamicin X2, which was expected as an intermediate based on the biosynthetic pathways proposed by others. Addition of methyl-14C-labeled antibiotic JI-20A to M. purpurea SC 1124 (NRRL 8102) yielded [methyl-14C]-gentamicin C1a and [methyl-14C]gentamicin C2b in variable molar radioactivity ratios. These data do not support the biosynthetic pathway leading to gentamicin C2b proposed by Testa and Tilley.