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Preferential Inhibition of Penicillinase Induction by Oxytetracycline and Its Effect on the Penicillin Susceptibility of Staphylococci

^a House of the Good Samaritan, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

ABSTRACT

Exposure of penicillinase-producing staphylococci to a combination of penicillin and oxytetracycline resulted in a synergistic inhibitory activity of the antibiotics on the bacteria. Oxytetracycline was employed in concentrations having little or no effect on bacterial growth. It was found that the synergistic antibacterial effect was caused by the preferential inhibition of penicillinase induction by oxytetracycline, rendering the staphylococci more susceptible to penicillin.

¹ Present address: Lynn Hospital, Lynn Mass.

² Present address. Department of Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 Recipient of a Public Health Service Career Development Award.