Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (1994) 34, 727-735
© 1994 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
research-article |
Activity of terbinafine against Pneumocystis carinii in vitro and its efficacy in the treatment of experimental pneumonia
aInstitute of Infectious and Respiratory Diseases, University of Ferrara Via Fossato di Mortara 23, 44100 Ferrara bInstitute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University "La Sapienza" Rome cInstitute of Infectious Diseases, University "La Sapienza" Rome dInstitute of Infectious Diseases, University of L'Aquila Italy
Received 4 August 1993; accepted 13 May 1994
*Corresponding author.
The antiprotozoan and antifungal agent, the terbinafine, was investigated for its potential activity against Pneumocystis carinii infection of the A549 cell line culture and on immunosuppressed Sprague Dawley rats in comparison with trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole and pentamidine isethionate. Terbinafine suppressed P. carinii growth at doses up to 3 g/L within 24 h and it was able to inhibit cyst forms at 60 h post inoculation. With respect to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole and pentamidine isethionate P. carinii organisms decreased at the same time interval but cyst form elimination was less apparent than with terbinafine. The results of the in-vitro culture were consistent with the in-vivo observations. Of the 3 groups of rats tested, the occurrence of P. carinii pneumonia was documented in 18 (60%) of the control rats (group 3) which showed a high degree of P. carinii burden and a marked weight loss with respect to the beginning of the experiment. Among terbinafine treated rats (group 1), P. carinii pneumonia was present in one rat (3.3%), while no P. carinii infection occurred in the pentamidine isethionate and in trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole treatment rat groups (group 2). All the agents investigated showed no particular signs of toxicity.
These preliminary results suggest further explorations of the terbinafine in clinical trials for treatment and prophylaxis of P. carinii pneumonia.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  P. D. Walzer and A. Ashbaugh Use of Terbinafine in Mouse and Rat Models of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., February 1, 2002; 46(2): 514 - 516. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. D. Walzer, A. Ashbaugh, M. Collins, and M. T. Cushion In Vitro and In Vivo Effects of Quinupristin-Dalfopristin against Pneumocystis carinii Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., November 1, 2001; 45(11): 3234 - 3237. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. B. Moore, C. M. Walls, and D. W. Denning In Vitro Activities of Terbinafine against Aspergillus Species in Comparison with Those of Itraconazole and Amphotericin B Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., June 1, 2001; 45(6): 1882 - 1885. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. S. Kaneshiro, M. S. Collins, and M. T. Cushion Inhibitors of Sterol Biosynthesis and Amphotericin B Reduce the Viability of Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. carinii Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., June 1, 2000; 44(6): 1630 - 1638. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Contini, E. Angelici, and R. Canipari Structural changes in rat Pneumocystis cariniisurface antigens after terbinafine administration in experimental P. carinii pneumonia J. Antimicrob. Chemother., February 1, 1999; 43(2): 301 - 304. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Fishman Treatment of Infection Due to Pneumocystis carinii Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., June 1, 1998; 42(6): 1309 - 1314. [Full Text]
|
|