Activity of disulfiram (bis(diethylthiocarbamoyl)disulphide) and ditiocarb(diethyldithiocarbamate) against metronidazole-sensitive and -resistant Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus

Clinical resistance of Trichomonas vaginalis to metronidazole is best corre lated with MIC values measured under aerobic conditions. Under these condit ions both disulfiram (bis(diethylthiocarbamoyl)disulphide), and its first m ammalian metabolite, ditiocarb (diethyldithiocarbamate), showed high levels of activity against metronidazole-sensitive (disulfiram MIC, 0.1-0.7 mu M; ditiocarb MIC, 0.3-9 mu M) and -resistant (MICs 0.2-1.3 mu M and 1.2-9 mu M respectively) isolates. Tritrichomonas foetus was also sensitive-the MICs for seven metronidazole-sensitive isolates were 0.1-1.0 mu M for disulfira m and 1.0-6.9 mu M for ditiocarb; those for two highly metronidazole-resist ant strains were 0.3-1.3 mu M and 0.6-6 mu M respectively. Under anerobic c onditions most strains became highly resistant to both compounds. Surprisin gly, disulfiram was consistently more active than ditiocarb.