In Vitro Susceptibility of the Opportunistic Fungus Cryptococcus Neoformans to Anthelmintic Benzimidazoles

Overview

Journal Antimicrob Agents Chemother

Publisher American Society for Microbiology

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 1994 Feb 1

PMID 8192471

Citations 11

Authors

M C Cruz

M S Bartlett

T D Edlind

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Ten benzimidazole derivatives and amphotericin B were tested in vitro against three isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. Drug concentrations inhibiting 50% of growth (IC50s) were determined. Four derivatives, including mebendazole and albendazole, had moderately high activities (IC50 = 0.1 to 0.3 microgram/ml). Fenbendazole, however, was 10-fold more active (IC50 = 0.01 to 0.02 microgram/ml) and also 2-fold more active than amphotericin B. Ten additional clinical isolates of C. neoformans were tested against fenbendazole, mebendazole, and albendazole; similar susceptibilities were observed. Drug concentrations lethal to 90% of the cells (LC90s) were determined for two isolates. The LC90s of albendazole and mebendazole were 0.92 to 2.1 micrograms/ml, and those of fenbendazole were 0.06 to 0.07 microgram/ml; the latter are eight to ninefold lower than the LC90s of amphotericin B that were obtained. Spontaneously arising mutants displaying partial resistance to fenbendazole arose at a low frequency (5 x 10(-9).

Citing Articles

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