It is known that many cases of infection with
Pseudomonas aeruginosa or
Serratia marcescens occur after administration of β-lactam antibiotics. Such phenomenon may result from alteration of microbial fiora by overgrowth of
P. aeruginosa or
S. marcescens that are resistant to many β-lactam antibiotics.
Attempts were made to analyze such phenomenon by experimental alteration of microbial population based on the ecological studies on Escherichia coli and
P. aeruginosa. The results may be summarized as follows:
In mixed cultures of
E. coli and
P. aeruginosa, the former showed a growth pattern similar to that in a single culture regardless of the inoculum size of
P. aeruginosa. The growth of
P. aeruginosa, on the other hand, was inhibited when the inoculum size of
E. coli was larger than or even the same as that of
P. aeruginosa, showing growth curves lower than that of a single culture.
In mixed cultures of
E. coli and
S. marcescens, the growth of the latter was inhibited as compared with that in a single culture when the inoculum size of
E. coli was larger than or the same as that of
S. marcescens.
When the inoculum size of
S. marcescens was larger, the growth of
E. coli was inhibited as compared with that in a single culture.
In mixed cultures of two species, namely
E. coli and
P.aeruginosa,
E. coli and
S.marcescens and in those of three species,
E. coli,
P. aeruginosa, and
S. marcescens, the addition of a β-lactam antibiotic inhibited the growth of
E. coli. The smaller the inoculum size of
E. coli, the more the inhibition of the growth by
P. aeruginosa or
S. marcescens or both.
Experimental alteration of the dominant species from
E. coli to
P. aeruginosa or from
E. coli to
S. marcescens induced with a β-lactam antibiotic proved that the larger the difference in M. I. C. between the two species, the easier the alteration of the microbial flora to occur.
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