AIM: To investigate the dose and time-effect relationship of 7 antimicrobial agents in experimental treatment of vibrio vulnificus infection in mice. METHODS: Vibrio vulnificus ( 6.0?10 11 CFU?L -1) was introduced intraperitoneally into the right abdominal cavity. After 1 h, 7 antimicrobial agents were given intraperitoneally using 5 dose levels respectively, and (were given intraperitoneally) using human therapeutic dose after 0.5, 1, 2, 3 h of infection, respectively. 7 antimicrobial agents were imipenem lcilastatin, chloramphenicol, doxycycline hydrochloride, netilmicin sulfate, cefoperazone sodium, piperacillin sodium, and levofloxacin lactate. The numbers of survival mice and the supermicrostructure change of organs were observed. RESULTS: With high dose of the seven agents, blood culture showed negative, and organ supermicrostructure injure recovered. 7 antimicrobial agents produced satisfactory therapeutic effect against experimental vibrio vulnificus infection using human therapeutic dose after 0.5～1 h of infection. Chloramphenicol, netilmicin sulfate, cefoperazone sodium and levofloxacin lactate had the better therapeutic effect after 2 h of infection, and weak effect after 3 h. Imipenem showed a weak effect. CONCLUSION: The treatments with these 7 antimicrobial agents early can obtain satisfactory therapeutic effect against experimental vibrio vulnificus infection in mice.