Texas Heart Institute journal
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Comparative Study
Comparison of antimicrobial agents as therapy for experimental endocarditis: caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
We used an experimental rat model to compare the therapeutic efficacy of teicoplanin, linezolid, and quinupristin/dalfopristin with that of vancomycin as standard therapy for infective endocarditis. Aortic endocarditis was induced in rats by insertion of a polyethylene catheter into the left ventricle, followed by intravenous inoculation of 106 colony-forming units of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 24 hours later. Forty-eight hours after bacterial challenge, intravenous antibiotic therapies were initiated. ⋯ In addition, there was no significant difference in the comparative efficacy of teicoplanin, linezolid, and quinupristin/dalfopristin. Vancomycin significantly reduced bacterial counts in comparison with linezolid, which was nonetheless also effective. Our experimental model showed that each of the investigated antimicrobial agents was effective in the treatment of infective endocarditis.