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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, July 1999, p. 1638-1643, Vol. 43, No. 7
G. W. Long Hansen's Disease Center at
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana,1 and The University of Texas
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas2
Received 21 January 1999/Returned for modification 8 March
1999/Accepted 14 April 1999
The therapeutic efficacy of liposomal clofazimine (L-CLF) was
studied in mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Erdman. Groups of mice were treated with either free clofazimine
(F-CLF), L-CLF, or empty liposomes twice a week for five treatments
beginning on day 1 (acute), day 21 (established), or day 90 (chronic)
postinfection. One day after the last treatment, the numbers of CFU of
M. tuberculosis in the spleen, liver, and lungs were
determined. F-CLF at the maximum tolerated dose of 5 mg/kg of body
weight was ineffective; however, 10-fold-higher doses of L-CLF
demonstrated a dose response with significant CFU reduction in all
tissues without any toxic effects. In acutely infected mice, 50 mg of
L-CLF/kg reduced CFU 2 to 3 log units in all three organs. In
established or chronic infection, treated mice showed no detectable CFU
in the spleen or liver and 1- to 2-log-unit reduction in the lungs. A
second series of L-CLF treatments cleared M. tuberculosis
in all three tissues. L-CLF appears to be bactericidal in the liver and
spleen, which remained negative for M. tuberculosis growth
for 2 months. Thus, L-CLF could be useful in the treatment of tuberculosis.
0066-4804/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Effective Treatment of Acute and Chronic Murine
Tuberculosis with Liposome-Encapsulated Clofazimine
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Bioimmunotherapy, Box 60, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson
Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030. Phone: (713)
728-3748. Fax: (713) 745-4167. E-mail: reetamehta{at}hotmail.com.
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