Transferability of resistance to clindamycin (CLDM) and tetracycline (TC) was studied in four clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis. Plasmids of donors and transconjugants were also analysed using the modified Triton X-100 cleared lysate procedure.
Resistance to TC and/or CLDM was transferred from four donor strains (GAI-0605, GAI-1213, GAI-2375 and GAI-6069) which were resistant to both CLDM and TC to a recipient strain of B. fragilis (GAI-7001) by the filter mating procedure. Its transfer frequency was significantly elevated in two strains (GAI-0605 and GAI-2385) and slightly elevated in the remaining strains by TC induction. Resistance to both drugs was always transferred en bloc in one donor strain (GAI-6069). The secondary transfer of resistance was also successful. Four donor strains contained several plasmids ranging-1.8 Mdalton to-36 Mdalton or more. But there found no involvement of particular plasmid in transfer of CLDM resistance. One plasmid-less transconjugant was shown to transfer its resistance to an isogenic strain of GAI-7001. This transfer seemed to occur by conjugation since it required the cell to cell contact of filter mating, was insensitive to DNase and was not mediated by chroloform-treated donor cells and culture-filtrate of donor cells.

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The organisms used in the present study were staphylococci resistant to various aminoglycosides (AGs) isolated from clinical materials handled at Bacteriological Department, Central Clinical Laboratory, Teikyo University Hospital between January and July 1983, and that obtained through the courtesy of five outside institutions between September and November 1983. The sensitivities to AGs of the above strains were determined, then crude enzyme solutions were prepared from some of them. The activities of AG-modifying enzymes were assayed by radioisotope-assay and an immunological test with the antiserum prepared by us. The results were as follows:
AGs-resistant strains could be divided into 3 groups according to their AGs resistance patterns. Group 2 and group 3 strains, that were subjected to the present enzymological assays, were confirmed to produce AG-modifying enzymes which roughly agreed with the prediction based on their resistance patterns. The group 2 strains, resistant to kanam. ycin (KM), gentamicin (GM) and amikacin (AMK), could be divided into 2 subgroups according to their sensitivity to lividomycin (LVDM). LVDM-resistant strains classified into 2-a produced a 3'-phosphotransferase in addition to a bifunctional enzyme acting as 2'-phosphotransferase and 6'-acetyltransferase, while all the 2-b strains sensitive to LVDM produced a bifunctional enzyme alone.Group 3 strains, resistant to KM and AMK, all produced a 4', 4'-adenylyltransferase (4', 4'-AAD).
4', 4'ADD-producing staphylococci were found in group 2 and such strains all produced two or more AG-modifying enzymes. Their enzyme activities were confirmed by radioisotope-assay and immunological test. 4', 4'-AAD-producing staphylococci were also detected with a high frequency from AGsresistant strains isolated from patients at the Surugadai Hospital, Nippon University School of Medicine. In addition, they were found among strains from Hokkaido, Okayama and Kagoshima areas. 4', 4'-AAD-producing strains tended to be detected more frequently in S. epidermidis than in S. aureus. The functionally identical AG-modifying enzymes each produced by a different species of staphylococci were suggested to be immunologically identical with each other.

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The concentration of cefbuperazone (CBPZ), a new cephamycin antibiotic, in human sputum after administration has been quantitatively analysed using bioassay and HPLC techniques which was applied and improved in this study.
(1) By the removals of mucus and the obstructive substance from sputum as a pretreatment procedure, and the improvement of measurement condition through the selection of monitored wavelength, the quantitative analysis by HPLC was well controlled and coincided with those by bioassay, resulted in the coefficient of correlation being 0.940.
(2) The concentration of CBPZ in sputum was analysed in five patients with pulmonary disease who were given with 1g and 2g via a drip-intravenous infusion for 1 hr. The maximum peak and pattern of concentrations with time of the individual. maximum concentration in sputum was detected in the range of 1.2-2.4μg/ml for 1g dose and 1.9-5.0μg/ml for 2g dose at a dose dependent manner.

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Cefbuperazone, a new semisynthetic cephamycin antibiotic, was administered intravenously at a dose of 500 mg twice a day for about two weeks to 24 patients with complicated urinary tract infections to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the drug and safety.
The results obtained were as follows.
1. After five days, clinical results were excellent in 1, moderate in 8 and poor in 10 cases. The overall effectiveness rate was 47.4%. In bacteriological results of 21 isolated strains, 14 strains were eradicated and 7 strains persisted.
2. After treatment, clinical results were excellent in 3, moderate in 8 and poor in 6 cases. The overall effectiveness was 64.7%. In bacteriological results of 19 isolated strains, 12 strains were eradicated and 7 strains persisted.
3. As side effects, subjective and objective abnormalities were not noted in any cases. Increase of eosinophil was observed in 1 case after five days. Increase of eosinophil, S-GOT and S-GPT and decrease of platelet were observed in 4 cases at the termination of treatment.

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95 male patients with gonorrheal urethritis were treated with cefmenoxime (CMX) and ceftisoxime (CZX) from August 1983 to May 1984, and clinically evaluated. 145 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated from the clinical specimens of these patients were bacteriologically studied.
Of the 145 strains, 15 (10.3%) were penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) strains and the other 130 strains were non-PPNG strains.
The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of penicillin G to the 145 strains were 0.0125-50μg/ml. While MICs of CMX to the 145 strains were ≤0.003, -0.2μg/ml and MICs of CZX were ≤0.003-0.05μg/ml.
95 cases were assigned to one of four treatment regimens: CZX 0.5g intramuscularly (group A); CMX 0.5g intramuscularly (group B); CMX 1g intramuscularly (group C); CMX 0.5g intramuscularly after probenecid 1g orally (group D).
The cure rate was 92.5%(25 of 27) in group A; 37.5%(3 of 8) in group B; 96.7%(29 of 30) in group C; and 100%(30 of 30) in group D.
No aide effects were found.

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A double blind study was made to assess the efficacy and safety of ara-A treatment for herpes zoster in cancer patients. The patients were randomly divided into wo groups: one group treated with a high dose (300 mg/day) of ara-A for 5 days and the other with a low dose (50 mg/day) for 5 days.
Skin lesions improved in more patients of the high dose group than in the low dose group 1, 3 and 7 days after the end of treatment. The overall improvement including skin lesions and neurologic symptoms indicated a trend to early improvement in the high dose group, compared with the low dose group. Significant improvement was also recognized in the high dose group 7, 14 and 21 days after the end of treatment, as compared with the low dose group. There was no significant difference in the overall safety rating between the high dose and the low dose group. The average rating of clinical utility in the high dose group was significantly higher than in the low dose group.
We have drawn the conclusion that the treatment with ara-A, 300 mg/day for 5 days, when initiated early, is useful as an antiviral therapy for herpes zoster in cancer patients.

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