Erythromycin Stearate in Acne vulgaris: Its Effect on the Skin Surface Lipids and on the Activity of Purified Pancreatic Lipase

Hellgren, Lars; Vincent, J.

doi:10.1159/000250905

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…pilosebaceous follicles and acne lesions (20), are closely associated with acne vulgaris. Broadspectrum antibiotics used in acne therapy are thought to decrease the numbers of viable P. acnes recovered from lesions and hence reduce the amount of free fatty acids in the sebum (2, 7,8,18). In these studies, however, bacteriological sampling methods have been used which do not necessarily represent the organisms of the pilosebaceous duct.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Improvement in acne is often achieved by long-term administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics which are thought to decrease the density of propionibacteria (1, 12,14) and hence reduce the free fatty acids in the sebum (7,18). At present, there are few reports describing the effects of antibiotics on propionibacteria in vitro, those that do exist being mainly concerned with the evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility (9,19).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Effect of clindamycin, erythromycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline on growth and extracellular lipase production by propionibacteria in vitro

Unkles¹,

Gemmell²

1982

Antimicrob Agents Chemother

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Two propionibacteria identified as Propionibacterium acnes and Propionibacterium granulosum were grown anaerobically in the presence of growth subinhibitory concentrations (0.25 and 0.5 minimal inhibitory concentrations) of clindamycin, erythromycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline. Viable counts and assays of extracellular lipase were performed on samples taken at 24-h intervals over a 96-h period. The results showed that lincomycin and clindamycin could inhibit the production of the enzyme by both strains with little effect on their growth rates. Tetracycline caused inhibition of lipase production by P. granulosum only. Although production of the enzyme by P. acnes was delayed in the presence of tetracycline, the final titer was the same as the control. Erythromycin had little effect on growth and enzyme production of either strain. It is possible, therefore, that certain antibiotics used in acne therapy may act not only as bactericidal agents but also as inhibitors of enzyme production under non-growth-limiting conditions. Hydrolysis of sebum triglycerides by bacterial lipases, in particular those of propionibacteria (13,20), and the subsequent release of irritating free fatty acids in the pilosebaceous follicles has been proposed as a major factor in the formation of lesions in acne vulgaris (22). Improvement in acne is often achieved by long-term administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics which are thought to decrease the density of propionibacteria (1,12,14) and hence reduce the free fatty acids in the sebum (7, 18). At present, there are few reports describing the effects of antibiotics on propionibacteria in vitro, those that do exist being mainly concerned with the evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility (9,19). In a recent publication, however, Webster et al. (26) found that lipase production in vitro by a strain of Propionibacterium acnes was inhibited by subgrowth-inhibitory concentrations of tetracycline and declomycin and delayed by erythromycin. The present study sought, therefore, to investigate the effect of antibiotics, commonly used in acne therapy, at subinhibitory concentrations on the growth and extracellular lipase production of P. acnes and Propionibacterium granulosum. Levels of drug at one-half and one-fourth minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were chosen for this study. A similar experimental system has been used to follow the biosynthesis of toxins and enzymes in Staphylococcus aureus (5) and Streptococcus pyogenes (4). MATERIALS AND METHODSBacteral strains. Two strains (P2 and P27) were selected from a collection of 52 Propionibacterium strains which had been isolated from normal skin and maintained anaerobically on Brewer's agar without indicator (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.), supplemented with 1% Tween 80 (Koch Light, Ltd., Colnbrook, England). The strains were identified using the biochemical classification scheme of Marples and McGinley (15): strain P2 was classified as P. acnes, and strain P27 was classified as P. granulosum.Antibiotics. The antibiotics used in thi...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of clindamycin, erythromycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline on growth and extracellular lipase production by propionibacteria in vitro

Unkles¹,

Gemmell²

1982

Antimicrob Agents Chemother

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It binds to the 50 S ribosomal subunit and inhibits the release of deacetylated RNA from ribosomes [6], The exact mode of action of systemic erythromycin in acne vulgaris has not been established with certainty, but the current literature points to a reduction of fatty acid levels in human skin surface lipids [2,13]. Moreover erythromycin has no inhibitory effect on P. acnes lipase activity [8] and its effect thus seems to be a direct suppresion of P. acnes or some of their metabolic functions (i.e. lipase production) [4],…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Topical Erythromycin for Acne vulgaris

Hellgren¹,

Vincent²

1980

Dermatology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The clinical response of topical erythromycin (1%) in a new penetrative vehicle was evaluated in a double-blind investigation on 28 patients with severe and moderate acne vulgaris. The verum preparation was superior to the placebo in 21 of the patients, while in 4 the reverse was true and in 3 no differences were seen. It is thus obvious that topical erythromycin in the penetrative vehicle is a potent agent for acne treatment. The risk for development of resistant Propionibacterium acnes strains must, however, be considered in topical as well as in systemic antibiotic therapy of acne vulgaris.

show abstract

“…This is perhaps not the entire explanation, as other antibiotics with equally potent antibiotic effect lack the antiinflammatory effect of tetracyclines and erythromycin in acne vulgaris. While tetracyclines inhibit the lipases of Propionibacterium acnes [11], this is not the case with erythromycin [7], Tetracyclines are known to depress the synthesis of proteins and RNA. Therefore it is possible that tetra cyclines can function as antiinflammatory drugs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Systemic Erythromycin Stearate on the Inflammatory Lesions and Skin Surface Fatty Acids in Acne vulgaris

1981

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In a 6-week and double-blind study the efficacy of systemic administered erythromycin stearate and doxycycline was compared in 56 patients with facial acne vulgaris. With both antibiotics a statistically significant improvement was demonstrated without any difference between the two groups. No patient had to withdraw therapy due to side-effects. Another part of this investigation correlates the degree of inflammation in acne vulgaris with the fatty acid level in human skin surface lipids before and after systemic erythromycin stearate therapy. This antibiotic reduced the amount of fatty acids 25–50% after a month of medication. The reduction was correlated with a definite clinical improvement in 14 of the 17 patients.

show abstract

Erythromycin Stearate in Acne vulgaris: Its Effect on the Skin Surface Lipids and on the Activity of Purified Pancreatic Lipase

Cited by 7 publications

References 21 publications

Effect of clindamycin, erythromycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline on growth and extracellular lipase production by propionibacteria in vitro

Effect of clindamycin, erythromycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline on growth and extracellular lipase production by propionibacteria in vitro

Topical Erythromycin for Acne vulgaris

Effect of Systemic Erythromycin Stearate on the Inflammatory Lesions and Skin Surface Fatty Acids in Acne vulgaris

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About