Efficacy of caspofungin in neutropenic and corticosteroid-immunosuppressed murine models of invasive pulmonary mucormycosis.

Abstract

Caspofungin (CFG) was tested in neutropenic and corticosteroid-immunosuppressed mice challenged with a lethal sinopulmonary inoculum of Rhizopus oryzae. Compared to untreated controls, CFG administered at 1 mg/kg of body weight/day significantly improved survival (54% versus 19%; P = 0.003) and reduced median R. oryzae fungal burden by 1.5 log(10) for conidial equivalent DNA in neutropenic but not corticosteroid-immunosuppressed animals. CFG administered at 16 mg/kg/day was not significantly better than a saline control for treatment of invasive pulmonary mucormycosis (IPM) in either neutropenic or corticosteroid-immunosuppressed animals.

• Authors: Russell E Lewis, Konstantinos Leventakos, Guangling Liao, Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis
• Journal: Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy (Antimicrob Agents Chemother) Vol. 55 Issue 7 Pg. 3584-7 (Jul 2011) ISSN: 1098-6596 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21537029 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antifungal Agents
• Echinocandins
• Lipopeptides
• Caspofungin

Topics

• Animals
• Antifungal Agents (therapeutic use)
• Caspofungin
• Echinocandins (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Immunosuppression Therapy
• Lipopeptides
• Lung Diseases, Fungal (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mucormycosis (drug therapy, microbiology)