Antibacterial Nitroacridine, Nitroakridin 3582: Effects on Bacterial Growth and Macromolecular Biosynthesis In Vivo

The antibacterial drug Nitroakridin 3582 inhibited the growth of selected grampositive bacteria more strongly than it inhibited the growth of gram-negative bacilli. Nitroakridin at concentrations of the order of 5 × 10 −5 m induced lysis of Bacillus licheniformis and Micrococcus lysodeikticus . At concentrations less than 10 −4 m , Nitroakridin 3582 reduced the exponential growth rate of Escherichia coli C-2; at 10 −4 m the drug was bacteriostatic, and, at concentrations greater than 10 −4 m , it was bactericidal. Prolonged bacteriostasis resulted in the formation of long filaments by E. coli, Serratia marcescens, Shigella sonnei , and Proteus mirabilis . The reversible effects of Nitroakridin 3582 on the growth of E. coli correlated with partial inhibitions of deoxyribonucleic acid biosynthesis; ribonucleic acid and protein syntheses were inhibited less strongly. Nitroakridin 3582 at concentrations greater than 2 × 10 −4 m , which block deoxyribonucleic acid biosynthesis, produced an accelerated bactericidal action.