COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY OF POLYENES AND TRIAZOLES AGAINST HEMATOGENOUS CANDIDA-KRUSEI INFECTION IN NEUTROPENIC MICE

Candida krusei is reported to cause serious infections in immunocompro mised patients, particularly those receiving prophylaxis with antifung al azoles. Treatment of this infection can be very challenging. The ef ficacy of amphotericin B, liposomal amphotericin B (three dosages), fl uconazole, and D0870 (a new experimental oral bis-triazole) was assess ed in a CF1 mouse model of hematogenous C. krusei infection. Increased survival time and reduced kidney fungal burden were achieved with tre atment with amphotericin B at 2 mg/kg/day and liposomal amphotericin B at 8 and 15 mg/kg/day. D0870 at 25 mg/kg/day increased survival time but had no effect on clearance from organs, while the survival and cle arance from organs of mice treated with fluconazole at a dose of 100 m g/kg/day did not differ from those of untreated animals. These finding s suggest that deoxycholate and liposome-encapsulated amphotericin B a re active against disseminated C. krusei infection in neutropenic mice and confirm the in vitro and in vivo resistance of this species to fl uconazole.