EFFICACY OF LASALOCID AGAINST MURINE PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII PNEUMONITIS

The efficacy of the ionophore lasalocid against Pneumocystis carinii p neumonitis in corticosteroid-immunosuppressed Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated. Lasalocid was effective in the prevention of the pneumon itis in a dose-dependent manner. At dosages of 0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/ day, P. carinii infection rates were 92, 60, 20, and 0%, respectively, during dexamethasone immunosuppression. Also, lasalocid compared favo rably with other drugs known to have anti-P. carinii activity, includi ng trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, atovaquone, and dapsone-trimethoprim .