Experimental study of cerebrospinal fluid tumor necrosis factor-alpha release in penicillin- and cephalosporin-resistant pneumococcal meningitis treated with different antibiotic schedules.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To measure the inflammatory response in terms of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), using bacteriolytic versus nonbacteriolytic antibiotic therapy and adjunctive treatment with dexamethasone in an experimental rabbit model of pneumococcal meningitis. METHODS: In a rabbit model of pneumococcal meningitis, we tested CSF TNF-α levels in several samples from rabbits infected with the HUB 2349 strain and treated with ceftriaxone 100 mg/kg/d, ceftriaxone plus vancomycin 30 mg/kg/d, or daptomycin at 15 mg/kg or 25 mg/kg. Daptomycin schedules were compared with the same doses in combination with dexamethasone at 0.125 mg/kg every 12 hours over a 26-hour period. RESULTS: The ceftriaxone group had the highest levels of TNF-α. TNF-α levels were significantly higher after ceftriaxone administration than in both daptomycin groups. The high-dose daptomycin group presented the lowest inflammatory levels in CSF samples. Adjunctive treatment with dexamethasone in this group modulated the inflammatory response, bringing down CSF TNF-α levels. CONCLUSION: CSF TNF-α levels were significantly lower in rabbits treated with daptomycin than in rabbits treated with ceftriaxone. Daptomycin avoided the inflammatory peak after administration observed in ceftriaxone-treated rabbits. The use of daptomycin plus dexamethasone achieved a significantly larger reduction in CSF TNF-α levels.

Effect of dexamethasone on the efficacy of daptomycin in the therapy of experimental pneumococcal meningitis.

This study aimed to determine the effect of dexamethasone in combination with low-dose or high-dose daptomycin for the treatment of penicillin- and cephalosporin-resistant pneumococcal meningitis. Efficacy (ΔCFU/mL) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of daptomycin at 15mg/kg and 25mg/kg were studied in a rabbit model of pneumococcal meningitis, comparing them with the same doses in combination with dexamethasone at 0.125mg/kg every 12h over a 26-h period against two different Streptococcus pneumoniae strains, HUB 2349 and ATCC 51916 with daptomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.09mg/L and 0.19mg/L, respectively. Daptomycin levels in CSF were lower when dexamethasone was given concurrently. Against strain HUB 2349, therapeutic failure occurred with daptomycin 15mg/kg+dexamethasone; daptomycin 25mg/kg+dexamethasone was better at reducing bacterial counts than the lower dose throughout treatment. Against the highly cephalosporin-resistant ATCC 51916 strain, daptomycin 15mg/kg+dexamethasone achieved a lower bacterial decrease than daptomycin 15mg/kg alone, and therapeutic failure at 24h occurred in the daptomycin 15mg/kg+dexamethasone group. Addition of dexamethasone to a 25mg/kg daptomycin dose did not affect the efficacy of daptomycin: it remained bactericidal throughout treatment. In conclusion, against the studied strains, low-dose (15mg/kg/day) daptomycin is affected by concomitant use of dexamethasone: CSF levels are reduced and its bacterial efficacy is affected. At a higher daptomycin dose (25mg/kg/day), however, the use of dexamethasone does not alter efficacy; the combination appears to be a good choice for the treatment of pneumococcal meningitis.