Enhanced susceptibility of Escherichia coli to intracellular killing by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes after in vitro incubation with chloramphenicol.

The effect of brief exposure to chloramphenicol of a pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli on susceptibility to normal human leukocytes was examined. Leukocytes killed chloramphenicol-pretreated E. coli more efficiently than they did untreated controls. Phagocytosis of pretreated bacteria, as measured by the uptake of radiolabeled bacteria and by direct visual count of engulfed bacteria, was not significantly increased. The decrease in viability was associated with enhanced intracellular killing of phagocytosed antibiotic-damaged bacteria. Chloramphenicol pretreatment altered the frequency distribution of intracellular bacteria by decreasing the number of leukocytes containing multiple stainable bacteria. Leukocytes failed to kill chloramphenicol-pretreated E. coli in the presence of phenylbutazone, which allowed an accumulation of intracellular bacteria. These results indicate that exposure of E. coli to chloramphenicol renders the bacteria more susceptible to intracellular killing and degradation.