In vivo and in vitro study of several pharmacodynamic effects of meropenem.

Several pharmacodynamic parameters are being studied and applied to the design of dosage regimens. The thigh infection model in neutropenic mice has been used in this study to investigate the in vivo postantibiotic effect (PAE) of meropenem against S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa. The sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC) postantibiotic effect (PA SME) of 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 x MIC was also determined in vitro on S. aureus and E. coli after pre-exposure of these microorganisms to 10 x MIC of meropenem. The in vitro PAE was also determined. In vivo killing curves using 2 different short dosage regimens were also studied to relate the lethal effect to the time that serum levels were above the MIC. No significant in vivo and in vitro PAEs were observed. The PA SMEs were higher for S. aureus than for E. coli. The 2 short dosage regimens, in vivo, were equally effective in killing S. aureus, but not E. coli. These results suggest that the pharmacodynamics of meropenem on Gram-negative strains may need further study to elucidate the mechanisms and characteristics of these parameters. On the other hand, we need to standardize a reliable in vitro method to monitor regrowth with a good correlation with the in vivo conditions.