Studies on Some Biological Aspects of Dihydrostreptomycin

Abstract

Dihydrostreptomycin, which is an antibiotic compound derived from streptomycin by reduction with hydrogen, has in vitro activity equal to that of streptomycin for some bacterial spp., but for others its activity is only a fraction that of streptomycin. In the case of one strain of Mycobacterium smegmatis its activity is slightly greater than that of streptomycin. Changes in pH and tryptone conc. in test broths affect the antibacterial activities of streptomycin and the dihydro compound similarly. Two spp. of bacteria resistant to streptomycin were also shown to be resistant to dihydrostreptomycin. The excretion rates of these 2 compounds as well as their toxicities in mice are similar.