Metronidazole versus anaerobes. In vitro data and initial clinical observations

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Metronidazole, a systemic trichomonicide since 1960, exhibits activity against anaerobic bacteria.
• Bacteroides fragilis is a common anaerobe in human infections, often resistant to antimicrobials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro and clinical efficacy of metronidazole against anaerobic and microaerophilic bacteria.
• To assess metronidazole's potential in managing human anaerobic infections.

Main Methods:

• Testing metronidazole against 54 strains of anaerobic and microaerophilic bacteria in vitro.
• Conducting an initial clinical evaluation of metronidazole in human anaerobic infections.

Main Results:

• Metronidazole showed significant activity against nearly all tested anaerobic and microaerophilic bacterial strains.
• The drug exhibited effectiveness against Bacteroides fragilis, a clinically significant resistant anaerobe.
• Initial clinical trials indicated favorable outcomes in treating human anaerobic infections.

Conclusions:

• Metronidazole possesses broad-spectrum activity against anaerobic bacteria, including resistant strains.
• Its in vitro efficacy, low toxicity, and positive initial clinical results support further investigation.
• Metronidazole shows promise as a therapeutic agent for managing anaerobic bacterial infections.