Efficacy of dual carbapenem treatment in a murine sepsis model of infection due to carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii

Objectives: To evaluate the in vivo efficacy of a dual carbapenem combination containing imipenem plus meropenem against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii producing carbapenemases OXA-23 or OXA-58. Methods: An experimental model of peritonitis using C57BL/6J female mice was developed and the minimum Lethal doses were calculated for infections due to OXA-23 or OXA-58 producers of A. baumannii clinical isolates. The efficacies of the carbapenems in monotherapy and in combination were tested. Results: Meropenem was better than imipenem in mice infected with either of the carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAb) strains. The combination of meropenem plus imipenem significantly improved the clearance of CRAbs from spleen compared with non-treated groups. The carbapenem-containing combination was better than imipenem for treating mice infected with both carbapenemase producers. In blood, the carbapenem combination significantly decreased the bacterial Load of the OXA-23 producers compared with imipenem or meropenem used in monotherapy. Conclusions: These results suggest that dual carbapenem combination could be an option for the treatment of infections due to carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii such as OXA-23 and OXA-58 producers.

Automated summary

The study demonstrated that meropenem was more effective than imipenem in treating carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections in mice. The combination of meropenem and imipenem significantly improved the clearance of CRAb in the spleen. Dual carbapenem combination showed better efficacy in treating mice infected with carbapenemase-producing strains.