科研之友
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摘要
Background: Treatment with amphotericin B is highly effective in histoplasmosis. Caspofungin has shown good activity against Candida and Aspergillus spp. In vitro studies have demonstrated that Histoplasma capsulatum is inhibited by caspofungin.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of caspofungin in the treatment of histoplasmosis in an animal experimental model.
Methods: Three strains of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum were used. Treatment started one week post-inoculation and the animals were randomly assigned to six groups: amphotericin B 6 mg/Kg/d, caspofungin 2 mg/Kg/d, 4 mg/Kg/d, 8 mg/Kg/d and the other two groups received saline solution and dextrose solution. Blood samples for culture were obtained once a week, from day 7 to 35 post-inoculation. One week after the end of the treatment the animals were sacrificed and spleen cultures were performed.
Results: Blood cultures were negative in all the hamsters which received amphotericin B (100%, P < 0.001): those treated with caspofungin and the control animals presented 30 and 32% of positive cultures respectively (P=0.59). Spleen cultures were negative in the animals treated with amphotericin B, while the percentage of positive spleen cultures in the caspofungin groups varied from 25 to 100%, and in the control groups from 35 to 94.8% (P=0.07). The statistical analysis of the undiluted cultures showed the use of amphotericin B as the only independent predictor of negative culture (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: The efficacy of amphotericin B is well known for the treatment of histoplasmosis, though we could not demonstrate that caspofungin is better than control.
- 出版日期2011-10-31
