The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 10, Issue 2 233-240, Copyright © 1977 by Society for General Microbiology
The effect of the nitroimidazole drug dimetridazole on microaerophilic campylobacters
D. S. Fernie, D. A. Ware and R. W. Park
Dimetridazole, a nitroimidazole drug reported to act only on obligately
anaerobic micro-organisms, is widely used for the prevention and treatment
of swine dysentery. Forty-four strains of the microaerophilic bacterium
Campylobacter coli isolated from either healthy or diseased pigs, and a
strain of Campylobacter fetus, were all sensitive to dimetridazole. The
sensitivities (minimal inhibitory concentration less than 10 microng per
ml) were similar to those of anaerobic bacteria. Dimetridazole inhibited
growth of campylobacters in a shaken culture in air, but did not inhibit
uptake of oxygen. Inhibition of growth appeared to result from an
inhibition of nucleic-acid synthesis and does not seem to depend upon
interference with electron transport in the catabolism of pyruvate.
