Therapeutic effects of an injectable new quinolone, pazufloxacin, against polymicrobial infections in the uterine endometritis model

Polymicrobial infections with aerobes and anaerobes are common in female genital tract infections. We evaluated the efficacy of an injectable new quinolon, pazufloxacin, using a uterine endometritis model. Rats were infected with a mixed inoculation of Escherichia coli plus Bacteriodes fragilis (MIC of pazufloxacin and ceftazidime: E. coli: 0.05 and 1.56 micrograms/ml, respectively, B. fragilis: 3.13 and 3.13 micrograms/ml, respectively). After inoculating 10(7) cfu/rat of each organism, pazufloxacin or ceftazidime (10 or 20 mg/kg, respectively, i.v., b.i.d., 3 days) was administered and compared with the nontreated group. The viable cell counts of the uterine corpus and uterine cervix in pazufloxacin-treated and ceftazidime-treated groups were decreased, compared with the nontreated group. The viable cell counts of the adnexa in the pazufloxacin-treated group were significantly decreased, compared with the ceftazidimetreated group. These results suggest that pazufloxacin would be useful for the treatment of polymicrobial infections, especially adnexitis.