The authors prepared a mouse tibial osteomyelitis model caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) level in bone was measured over time, using ELISA, after administration of roxithromycin (RXM) at 5 mg/kg/day, to investigate the expression of TNF-α in osteomyelitis and the inhibitory effect of RXM on expression. The TNF-α levels were significantly higher in an infected group than in a control (non-infected) group on days 3 to 28 after infection. Although there was no significant difference in TNF-α levels between a group that received RXM administration and a group that did not received RXM by day 14 after RXM administration, the TNF-α levels were significantly lower for the administration group on or after day 21, indicating the inhibitory effect RXM had.
