The Status of Antibiotics

From a dissertation read before the Royal Medical Society on Friday, 1st November, 1963. Many attribute the earliest recognition of an antibiotic effect to Sir Alexander Fleming. However, in 1877, 50 years before Fleming’s discovery, Pasteur and Joubert described the phenomenon of bacterial antagonism; the process whereby the growth of certain species is inhibited in the presence of others. In the particular case of the anthrax bacillus they found that growth was inhibited in cultures contaminated with ‘common bacteria’ (those types now known as the Enterobacteriaciae). Shortly afterwards the term “antibiosis” was introduced for such antagonism. Copyright Royal Medical Society. All rights reserved. The copyright is retained by the author and the Royal Medical Society, except where explicitly otherwise stated. Scans have been produced by the Digital Imaging Unit at Edinburgh University Library. Res Medica is supported by the University of Edinburgh’s Journal Hosting Service: http://journals.ed.ac.uk ISSN: 2051-7580 (Online) ISSN: 0482-3206 (Print) Res Medica is published by the Royal Medical Society, 5/5 Bristo Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9AL Res Medica, Spring 1964, 4(2): 19-22 doi: 10.2218/resmedica.v4i2.422 The Status of Antibiotics

The Status of Antibiotics By J. A. RAEBURN From a dissertation read before the Royal Medical Society on Friday, 1st November, 1963 H istory of anti-microbial th erapy 1 M any attribute the earliest recognition of an antibiotic effect to Sir Alexander Fleming.However, in 1877, 50 years before Flem ing's discovery, Pasteur and Joubert described the phenomenon of bacterial antagonism; the pro cess whereby the growth of certain species is inhibited in the presence of others.In the particular case of the anthrax bacillus they found that growth was inhibited in cultures contaminated with 'com m on bacteria' (those types now known as the E n terobacteriaciae).Shortly afterwards the term " antibiosis" was introduced for such antagonism.
T h e problem that faced these early workers was to discover substances with selective tox icity-substances which destroyed bacteria in concentrations having no effect on the cells of the body.W ith o u t this selective action, an anti-microbial substance is no more than an antiseptic.In medicine today it is important to remember this distinction.It is difficult to justify the use of antibiotic sprays to disinfect surgical wards, a use in which it cannot be said that selective toxicity is required.
In 1928, Sir Alexander Flem ing recognised the effect on the growth of staphylococci of Penicillium notatum, a fungal contaminant.T h e mould had caused the lysis of the sur rounding staphylococcal colonies.T en years later Florey and his co-workers published the first paper on the clinical use of penicillin.
Since 1939, increased research into the developm ent of antibiotics has resulted in over a dozen being available for clinical use.W e must remember, however, that for each anti biotic that has found a place in therapeutics today, there are many hundreds that were isolated but which were subsequently found to be too toxic for clinical use.

Present clinical problems
W h en a clinician decides to treat an infection with antibiotics two problems face him; firstly drug resistance and secondly drug toxicity.

A. Drug Resistance
It is convenient to consider bacterial resist ance to antibiotic action as being either con genital or acquired.W e could regard those bacterial species outwith the spectra of individual antibiotics as being congenitally resistant to such drugs.Treatm ent of infections whose causative organisms show such resist ance to the antibiotics in use, is doomed to fail.
M ore pressing at the present time is the acquired resistance of bacteria which were originally susceptible to given antibiotics.W h a t is the nature of such resistance?W h a t changes occur in bacterial structure to cause it?A rational approach to this problem would be to determine the precise modes of action of all antibiotics and to investigate the changes occurring as resistance develops.T h e table below summarises the likely modes of action of some antibiotics in com m on use.

BACTERIOSTATIC
Since precise knowledge of the mechanism of antibiotic action is lacking, still less is known of the nature of the changes occurring to drug resistant types.T w o opposing theories 2• 3 have been suggested.T hese have implications that are fundamental to the rational treatment of infection.

I. T h e G en etic Theory
T his theory states that in bacterial popula tions, mutants which arc less susceptible to the drug arise spontaneously, and that the produc tion of these mutants is independent of ex posure to the drug.Subsequently they thrive at the expense of the more sensitive strains if their environment contains quantities of the drug.

II. T h e Adaptive Theory
In this theory it is postulated that the drug is a direct stimulus to the developm ent of re sistance.
If we are thinking, as we should be, of the status of antibiotics in future years, it is the second theory that gives more cause for optim ism.For if the use of antibiotics were restricted this would lessen the stimulus to the develop m ent of resistance.Conversely, if resistant strains arise despite restricted use of antibiotics, there is cause for concern.
T h e evidence for each theory cannot be in cluded here, but most workers agree that the genetic hypothesises is more able to explain certain accepted facts.In accepting this expert view, we should realise that the same mechan ism need not operate in all eases.T o support such a compromise, we need only think of the different patterns of developing resistance.For example with the tetracyclines, the first stage in the developm ent of resistance forms strains that are resistant to only slightly increased con centrations of the drug.Subsequently resist ance develops to higher and yet higher concen trations.By contrast, the resistance which develops to streptomycin may 'ab initio' be of uniformly high level.4T h e pattern of develop ing resistance differs; it is likely that so too will the mechanisms of developing resistance.
Taking account of both theories, we can construct sensible rules for the antibiotic treat ment of the individual patient.M oreover rational therapy benefits not only the individual but also the hospital com m unity, for fewer drug resistant strains arise.

Guiding rules for antibiotic therapy
T o be most effective treatment must be started early in the course of the infection before many organisms and hence many resist ant mutants have developed (genetic theory).Here a balance must be struck, for treatment must often be delayed until the sensitivity of the caustative organism is known.T h e follow ing table shows a number of diseases caused by micro-organisms that have a consistent suscept ibility to antibiotics.In such cases early treat m ent can be instituted on the strength of a clinical diagnosis (see table ii).
A corollary to this first clinical rule would be that in chronic infections of the lungs, the urinary tract, etc., little will be gained by hasty 'blunderbus' treatment.In such situations, two or three scries of careful bacteriological investigations may be required before rational antibiotic therapy can begin.

II.
W h en the chosen treatment is started, there must be no delay in providing effective tissue levels of antibiotic.(Both theories.)

III.
Levels of antibiotic above the m inim um in hibitory concentration (M IC .) of the infecting bacteria must be maintained long enough for all the causative organisms to be eradicated (adaptive theory).
If the drug concentration at any stage in treatment is below the M I C of the bacteria, not only is growth enabled to continue, but further, bacteriological evidence indicates that some stimulation of growth may occur.(See plate.)IV .
Antibiotic must be eliminated from the body as rapidly as possible after successful treatment: a) In order that the normal bacteriological environment is quickly restored.
b) Lest the results of clearance tests are falsified.
e.g.After the oral treatment of dysentery, antibiotic levels that arc significant may persist in the faeces for some time.In such cases, certain patients arc declared free from infection although they still harbour the causative organ ism, temporarily masked by high residual levels of antibiotic.

This photograph shows part of an agar plate on which staphylococci have been evenly distri buted. Centrally two 8mm. cups have been punched out and in each a known amount of streptomycin has been placed. Diffusion of the drug through the medium has caused inhibition of the growth of the staphylococci inside large rings surrounding the cups. The rings of inhi bition are sharply demarcated by zones of increased grow th. At this point, the antibiotic concentration is just below that which causes inhibition of growth. If such sub-inhibitory concentrations of drug exist in the body, then similar increased grow th may occur. The main tenance of adequate levels at the site of infection is of especial importance when using bacterio static antibiotics.
Having discussed the phenom enon of drug resistance and how it affects the treatment of individual cases, let us examine the 'natural history' of resistance in the com m unity.T h e following table shows  •• 0% 0% I t is readily seen that in the case of the first three substances there has been an increase of resistance.T here has been no increase in re sistance to chloramphenicol, for in this area the physicians, well aware of this drug's tragic side effects, do not use it in the treatment of dysentery.In the Glasgow area, where more chloramphenicol is used, the percentage of resistant strains is now about 2% .It is difficult to deny the obvious conclusion that with in creasing use of antibiotics in a com m unity, the proportion of resistant strains increases.

B. Antibiotic Toxicity
T h e vital property of anti-microbial agents for parenteral use is selective toxicity.N o matter how great this is, it is certain that all antibiotics at present known will in some situ ations have toxic effects, the degree of severity of these being dependent on the level in the body.Although the many possible therapeutic disasters that could be caused by antibiotics cannot be elaborated here it must be emphasised that no antibiotic can be administered without the danger of ill effects.T h e deduction follows that a simple rule must be applied before ordering a course of antibiotic therapy:-Antibiotics should only be used in severe or potentially severe diseases.
T h e use of highly toxic antibiotics can only be justified if such use is deemed to be lifesaving, and if adequate facilities exist for the estimation of blood levels of the drug.It is depressing to think of the fatal marrow aplasias that have followed the empirical treatment of minor catarrhal conditions with chlorampheni col.
It has been suggested that the severe effects of the common cold can be forestalled by the prophylactic use of antibiotics, and that since this illness affects millions of people the result of such prophylaxis would be of great economic significance.However, as a result of the wide spread use of antibiotics for this purpose, the secondarily invading bacteria would soon be come resistant to the antibiotics employed.T h e econom ic benefit would be short-lived.Serious thought must be given to the question of treat ing such minor complaints.

S U M M A R Y
I n this brief review the attem pt has been made to pose certain questions regarding the policy for the use of antibiotics today and in future years.There was 110 space to consider still more controversial subjects such as the prophylactic use of antibiotics6,7 or the value of antibiotic combinations.8T h e rational use of these drugs is not simple, and if further in discriminate usage continues, the problems of the future will becom e still more alarming.Until now, the development of new antibiotics has kept pace with the steady increase in resist ance to those used currently.It is foolish to suppose that the development of new drugs will continue.O ur legacy, from the previous generation has been one of powerful drugs which can cure the most severe infections.If we misuse this, the legacy of future generations will be one of m ultiple drug resistance in in fections more terrible than any we at present know.

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T
In the preparation of this article I have had much assistance from the staff of the Infectious Diseases Unit, the C ity Hospital.In particular I must thank Dr. J. M cC .M urdoch who has given me invaluable support and encourage ment.

R E FER E N CE S
how the percentage of resistant strains of Shigella sonnei has changed in the last seven years.T h e figures quoted are the approximate values for the Edinburgh area.'