Inhibition of growth of Pneumocystis carinii by lactoferrins alone and in combination with pyrimethamine, clarithromycin and minocycline

Citation
O. Cirioni et al., Inhibition of growth of Pneumocystis carinii by lactoferrins alone and in combination with pyrimethamine, clarithromycin and minocycline, J ANTIMICRO, 46(4), 2000, pp. 577-582
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Pharmacology,Microbiology
Journal title
Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy
ISSN journal
03057453 → ACNP
Volume
46
Issue
4
Year of publication
2000
Pages
577 - 582
Database
ISI
SICI code
Abstract
The in vitro activity of lactoferrins alone and in combination with clarith romycin, minocycline and pyrimethamine was investigated against three clini cal isolates of Pneumocystis carinii. Susceptibility was tested by inoculat ing isolates on to cell monolayers and determining the parasite count after 72 h incubation at 37 degreesC. The culture medium was supplemented with s erial dilutions of each agent. At 20 mg/L, bovine lactoferrin, the most act ive agent, suppressed the growth of cystic and trophic forms by >60%. Human lactoferrin, at the same concentration, suppressed the growth of cystic an d trophic forms by >50%. Lactoferrins at 20 mg/L combined with clarithromyc in 4 mg/L had high anti-P. carinii activity, with a >90% decrease in cystic and trophic form counts. Our study suggests that lactoferrins may inhibit P. carinii growth in vitro and act synergically with other clinically used compounds. These findings lend experimental support to the use of iron-chel ating agents in the therapy of pneumocystis infections.