EFFECT OF TRIFLUOPERAZINE, A POTENTIAL-DRUG FOR TUBERCULOSIS WITH PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS, ON THE GROWTH OF CLINICAL ISOLATES OF DRUG-RESISTANTMYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS

The effect of the antipsychotic drug trifluoperazine (TFP) on the in-v itro growth of 50 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was tested. Of these isolates, 29 were susceptible to all five of the anti tubercular drugs isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin, ethambutol and p yrazinamide, and 21 were resistant to one or more of the five drugs. T he minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of TFP was 4 mu g/ml for 40% of both the susceptible (12/29) and resistant (8/21) isolates and 8 m u g/ml for 55% (16/29) and 48% (10/21) of the susceptible and resistan t isolates respectively. Further analysis of the data for resistant is olates indicated that the MIC of TFP was 4 mu g/ml and 16 mu g/ml resp ectively for 50% (4/8) and 75% (6/8) of the isolates resistant to one drug only from isoniazid, streptomycin or pyrazinamide. Of the nine is olates resistant to two drugs, isoniazid and streptomycin, the MIC was 4 mu g/ml for 33% (3/9) and 16 mu g/ml for 80% (7/9). The MIC of TFP for two isolates resistant to the three drugs isoniazid, rifampicin an d streptomycin was 8 mu g/ml for one and 32 mu g/ml for the other. Of two isolates resistant to all five drugs, it is of interest to note th at the MIC of TFP was only 4 mu g/ml for one but 32 mu g/ml for the ot her. Because the above MICs are for TFP as a single drug, it would be desirable to study the antitubercular activity of the serum of tubercu losis patients with psychotic problems receiving regular antitubercula r therapy supplemented with TFP at its recommended and tolerated dose. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 13:129-131 (C) 1998 Lippincott-Raven Publish ers.