Abstract
We compared the efficacy of azithromycin to the clinical antimalarial doxycycline in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice and in P. falciparum-infected Aotus monkeys. When mice were administered drug orally twice a day for three days, the minimum total dose of azithromycin that cured all mice was 768 mg/kg. Doxycycline at a dose of 1,536 mg/kg cured no mice. The efficacy of fast-acting blood schizonticides (quinine, halofantrine, artemisinin) against P. berghei was augmented by azithromycin. In monkey experiments in which there were two animals per experimental group, azithromycin (100 mg/kg/day for seven days) eliminated parasitemia; azithromycin (30 mg/kg/day) initially cleared 99.8-100% of the parasites with recrudescence in the one completely cleared case. Doxycycline (30 mg/kg/day) cleared 100% of the parasites with recrudescence in both cleared cases. Since azithromycin can be clinically administered at a somewhat higher daily dosage than doxycycline, the data suggest that it may be possible to replace drugs of the tetracycline class with azithromycin in combination with fast-acting blood schizonticides for the treatment of P. falciparum infection.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 159-161 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 1995 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Parasitology
- Infectious Diseases
Cite this
Activity of azithromycin as a blood schizonticide against rodent and human plasmodia in vivo. / Andersen, S. L.; Ager, Arba L; McGreevy, P.; Schuster, B. G.; Wesche, D.; Kuschner, R.; Ohrt, C.; Ellis, W.; Rossan, R.; Berman, J.
In: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Vol. 52, No. 2, 1995, p. 159-161.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Activity of azithromycin as a blood schizonticide against rodent and human plasmodia in vivo
AU - Andersen, S. L.
AU - Ager, Arba L
AU - McGreevy, P.
AU - Schuster, B. G.
AU - Wesche, D.
AU - Kuschner, R.
AU - Ohrt, C.
AU - Ellis, W.
AU - Rossan, R.
AU - Berman, J.
PY - 1995
Y1 - 1995
N2 - We compared the efficacy of azithromycin to the clinical antimalarial doxycycline in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice and in P. falciparum-infected Aotus monkeys. When mice were administered drug orally twice a day for three days, the minimum total dose of azithromycin that cured all mice was 768 mg/kg. Doxycycline at a dose of 1,536 mg/kg cured no mice. The efficacy of fast-acting blood schizonticides (quinine, halofantrine, artemisinin) against P. berghei was augmented by azithromycin. In monkey experiments in which there were two animals per experimental group, azithromycin (100 mg/kg/day for seven days) eliminated parasitemia; azithromycin (30 mg/kg/day) initially cleared 99.8-100% of the parasites with recrudescence in the one completely cleared case. Doxycycline (30 mg/kg/day) cleared 100% of the parasites with recrudescence in both cleared cases. Since azithromycin can be clinically administered at a somewhat higher daily dosage than doxycycline, the data suggest that it may be possible to replace drugs of the tetracycline class with azithromycin in combination with fast-acting blood schizonticides for the treatment of P. falciparum infection.
AB - We compared the efficacy of azithromycin to the clinical antimalarial doxycycline in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice and in P. falciparum-infected Aotus monkeys. When mice were administered drug orally twice a day for three days, the minimum total dose of azithromycin that cured all mice was 768 mg/kg. Doxycycline at a dose of 1,536 mg/kg cured no mice. The efficacy of fast-acting blood schizonticides (quinine, halofantrine, artemisinin) against P. berghei was augmented by azithromycin. In monkey experiments in which there were two animals per experimental group, azithromycin (100 mg/kg/day for seven days) eliminated parasitemia; azithromycin (30 mg/kg/day) initially cleared 99.8-100% of the parasites with recrudescence in the one completely cleared case. Doxycycline (30 mg/kg/day) cleared 100% of the parasites with recrudescence in both cleared cases. Since azithromycin can be clinically administered at a somewhat higher daily dosage than doxycycline, the data suggest that it may be possible to replace drugs of the tetracycline class with azithromycin in combination with fast-acting blood schizonticides for the treatment of P. falciparum infection.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028899181&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0028899181&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 7872444
AN - SCOPUS:0028899181
VL - 52
SP - 159
EP - 161
JO - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
SN - 0002-9637
IS - 2
ER -