Comparative antibacterial activity of azlocillin, mezlocillin, carbenicillin and ticarcillin and relative stability to beta-lactamases of pseudomonas aeruginosa and klebsiella aerogenes

The antibacterial activities of two ureidopenicillins, azlocillin and mezlocillin, were compared with those of the alpha-carboxypenicillins, carbenicillin and ticarcillin, against a large number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. All four penicillins were active against a wide range of bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but there were differences in the antibacterial spectra and in the antibacterial effects demonstrated by the two classes of penicillins. In particular, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of azlocillin and mezlocillin against Klebsiella aerogenes and against P. aeruginosa were greatly influenced by the size of bacterial inoculum tested whereas there was no significant inoculum effect with carbenicillin and ticarcillin. In stability tests, the ureidopenicillins were inactivated rapidly by the beta-lactamases of K. aerogenes and P. aeruginosa whereas the alpha-carboxypenicillins were stable. It seems probable that the inoculum effect seen with azlocillin and mezlocillin in antibacterial tests with K. aerogenes and P. aeruginosa is associated with the instability of the compounds to the beta-lactamases of these bacteria.