The minimal inhibitory concentrations of 32 antimicrobial agents were established for 73 strains of Propionibacterium acnes and four related species (P. granulosum, P. avidum, Corynebacterium minutissimum, and C. parvum). Most strains showed good susceptibility to those agents usually considered active against gram-positive organisms. With the exception of C. minutissimum, the strains tested revealed more or less identical susceptibility ranges. The lowest minimal inhibitory concentrations were observed with benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, cephalothin, rifampin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and minocycline. C. minutissimum was more susceptible to gentamicin, sisomicin, tobramycin, and fusidic acid but more resistant to most other drugs than were the other species examined.

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The production of chondroitin sulfatase, hyaluronidase, deoxyribonuclease, gelatinase, phosphatase, lecithinase, and hemolysins was examined in 95 strains of Propionibacterium acnes and four related species of anaerobic, respectively, microaerophilic coryneform bacteria (P. avidum, P. lymphophilum, P. granulosum, and Corynebacterium minutissimum). All enzymes could be demonstrated in at least one representative of the species tested. Those Propionibacterium species most frequently found in acne vulgaris lesions, i.e., P. acnes and P. granulosum, proved to be the most active organisms concerning the production of the enzymes tested. P. avidum, on the other hand, showed the highest rate of hemolytic activity.

Determinations of the minimum inhibitory concentrations for various antimicrobial surfactants with reference to the bacteria P. acnes, P. granulosum, and St. epidermidis are reported. The results show that quaternary ammonium compounds can display minimum inhibitory concentrations corresponding to those of relevant antibiotics. With the especially effective substance fractionated dimethylcocobenzalkoniumchloride )ARQUAD DMMCD-B), it could be further shown that with in vivo application in 70% isopropanol or in an ethanol-containing film mask ointment suppression can be obtained of P. acnes, all propionibacteria added, and all pilosebaceous duct bacteria which can be cultured under anaerobic conditions. The studies may point out a way of replacing antibiotics in the antimicrobial therapy of acne by quaternary ammonium compounds.