Efficacy of moxifloxacin or gatifloxacin as prophylaxis against experimental murine infection

Helen S. Atkins (1) , Stephen Spencer (2) , Simon D. Brew (2) , Thomas R. Laws (1) , Rachel E. Thirlwall (2) , Alastair P. Macmillan (2) , Timothy J.G. Brooks (1) , Andrew J.H. Simpson (1)

1 Department of Biomedical Sciences
2 Department of Statutory and Exotic Bacterial Diseases

The prophylactic potential of moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin was assessed in comparison with doxycycline, an established therapeutic antibiotic, to limit or control infection by in an experimental mouse model, determined by reduced bacterial burden in the spleen. Although moxifloxacin was found to have a small protective effect when administered 6h following infection, neither moxifloxacin nor gatifloxacin showed significant efficacy in vivo. In comparison, doxycycline provided significant protection when prophylaxis was started at 6h, 7 days or 14 days following infection. Overall, these results confirm the utility of doxycycline in the prophylaxis of brucellosis and suggest that neither moxifloxacin nor gatifloxacin are likely to be valuable for post-exposure prophylaxis of infection.

Mots clés: Antibiotic; Fluoroquinolone; Moxifloxacin; Gatifloxacin; Mouse

Helen S. Atkins, Stephen Spencer, Simon D. Brew, Thomas R. Laws, Rachel E. Thirlwall, et al.. Efficacy of moxifloxacin or gatifloxacin as prophylaxis against experimental murine infection. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, 2009, 34 (5), pp.471. ⟨10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2009.06.018⟩. ⟨hal-00556351⟩