Treatment of acute Chlamydia pneumoniae infection with telithromycin in C57BL/6J mice.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

The efficacy of telithromycin, a new ketolide antibiotic, was investigated in the treatment of acute Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in a mouse model.

METHODS:

C57BL/6J mice were inoculated intranasally, and the effects of three different doses of telithromycin (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) were assessed after 5 and 10 days of treatment. Lungs for culture, PCR, histopathology, and blood for serum samples were collected immediately after each treatment period and at 3 weeks post-inoculation. C. pneumoniae-specific antibodies were analysed, and the effect of treatment was assessed by culture, detection of C. pneumoniae DNA and determination of histopathological inflammatory changes in mouse lungs.

RESULTS:

Culture negativity in the lungs was achieved with the higher doses, 50 and 100 mg/kg, after 10 days of treatment. C. pneumoniae DNA was not totally eradicated with the treatments, but the groups treated with 50 and 100 mg/kg doses for 10 days had the lowest DNA positivity rates (10%) 3 weeks after the inoculation. In lung histopathology, the efficacy of telithromycin on inflammatory changes was also dose-dependent: higher doses were more effective in reducing the inflammatory reaction. Overall, the 25 mg/kg dose had a weaker effect compared with the others.

CONCLUSIONS:

Telithromycin had both time- and dose-dependent effects on the eradication of chlamydia and on reducing infection-induced inflammatory changes in mouse lungs.

• Authors: L Törmäkangas, E Saario, D Bem David, A Bryskier, M Leinonen, P Saikku
• Journal: The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy (J Antimicrob Chemother) Vol. 53 Issue 6 Pg. 1101-4 (Jun 2004) ISSN: 0305-7453 [Print] England
• PMID: 15117927 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Antibodies, Bacterial
• DNA, Bacterial
• Immunoglobulin G
• Ketolides
• Macrolides
• telithromycin

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Animals
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
• Antibodies, Bacterial (analysis)
• Chlamydia Infections (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Chlamydophila pneumoniae (drug effects, genetics)
• DNA, Bacterial (analysis)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Female
• Immunoglobulin G (analysis)
• Inflammation (pathology)
• Ketolides
• Lung (microbiology, pathology)
• Macrolides (therapeutic use)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Pneumonia, Bacterial (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction