Meropenem

Meropenem is a carbapenem antibacterial agent[1]. The MICs of meropenem was 0.03 mg/L against S. aureus and E. coli but > 256 mg/L against C. albicans[2]. It is stable to hydrolysis by most beta-lactamases produced by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including penicillinases and cephalosporinases[1].

Meropenem, a carbapenem antibacterial agent, is stable to hydrolysis by most beta-lactamases produced by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, including penicillinases and cephalosporinases[1]. The MICs of meropenem was 0.03 mg/L against S. aureus and E. coli but > 256 mg/L against C. albicans[2].

In vitro, meropenem has the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values is 128 µg/mL, but meropenem combined with vaborbactam reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of meropenem by ≥ 64-fold against engineered strains and clinical isolates producing class A serine carbapenemases (e.g. KPC-2, KPC-3, SME-2, NMC-A)[3^][4]. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of carvacrol and meropenem on carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) strains were detected within a range of 32-128 µg/mL using the broth microdilution method[5]. The MIC90 of meropenem (when tested with a fixed concentration of 8 µg/ml of vaborbactam) for isolates of KPC-positive Enterobacteriaceae was 1 µg/ml, and MIC values ranged from ≤0.03 to >32 µg/ml[6].

In vivo, in fully PTZ (pentylenetetrazol)-kindled mice, intravenous administration of meropenem (500 mg/kg) did not elicit any convulsions in the electroconvulsive shock test with low-intensity stimulus currents[7]. In vivo efficacy test shown that cats were administrated 10 mg/kg q12h meropenem is effected against bacteria with MIC values of 6 µg/ml, 7 µg/ml and 10 µg/ml for IV, IM and SC administration, respectively[8].

References:
[1]Zhanel GG, et al. Imipenem-relebactam and meropenem-vaborbactam: two novel carbapenem-beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations. Drugs. 2018;78(1):65-98.
[2]Yu L, et al. Synergetic Effects of Combined Treatment of Colistin With Meropenem or Amikacin on Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in vitro. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2019 Dec 10;9:422.
[3]Hecker SJ, et al. Discovery of a cyclic boronic acid beta-lactamase inhibitor (RPX7009) with utility vs class A serine carbapenemases. J Med Chem. 2015;58(9):3682-3692.
[4]Lomovskaya O, et al. Vaborbactam: spectrum of beta-lactamase inhibition and impact of resistance mechanisms on activity in Enterobacteriaceae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2017;61(11):e01443-17.
[5]KÖse EO. In vitro activity of carvacrol in combination with meropenem against carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Folia Microbiol (Praha). 2022 Feb;67(1):143-156.
[6]Hackel MA, et al. In Vitro Activity of Meropenem-Vaborbactam against Clinical Isolates of KPC-Positive Enterobacteriaceae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2017 Dec 21;62(1):e01904-17.
[7]Suemaru K, et al. 5-Fluorouracil exacerbates cefepime-induced convulsions in pentylenetetrazol-kindled mice. Epilepsy Res. 2019 Nov;157:106195.
[8]Albarellos GA, et al. Pharmacokinetics of meropenem after intravenous, intramuscular and subcutaneous administration to cats. J Feline Med Surg. 2016 Dec;18(12):976-980.