Efficacy of Antiamebic Drugs in a Mouse Model

Stephen Becker Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

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Paul Hoffman Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

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Eric R. Houpt Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

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Nitroimidazole antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment of invasive amebiasis; however, few comparative studies of applicable antibiotics are available. Evidence of sporadic clinical failure and rare reports of metronidazole resistance have led to the investigation of novel antiamebic therapeutics. The goal of this study was to examine drug efficacy in both in vitro and in vivo models of intestinal amebiasis. We studied six current and three novel drugs. Many drugs, including metronidazole, nitazoxanide, and nitazoxanide derivatives, were shown to be potently inhibitory in vitro. However, metronidazole remained the most effective in vivo, both in preventative and curative regimens, underscoring the value of animal models in evaluating future therapies.

Author Notes

*Address correspondence to Eric R. Houpt, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, 345 Crispell Drive, MR6 1716, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908. E-mail: erh6k@virginia.edu

Financial support: This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants AI071373 and AI075520 (to P.H.).

Authors' addresses: Stephen Becker, Paul Hoffman, and Eric R. Houpt, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, E-mails: smb7yv@virginia.edu, psh2n@virginia.edu, and erh6k@virginia.edu.

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