title: Anti-cryptosporidial drug activity screened with an immunosuppressed rat model.
abstract: Cryptosporidium parvum, a coccidian parasite can cause mild or severe self-limiting diarrhea in immunocompetent humans, but chronic and life-threatening in immunocompromised individuals. An immunosuppressed rat model with persistent cryptosporidiosis was used to investigate the anti-cryptosporidial activity of drugs. Using curative procedures, no activity was found with 6 antibiotics assayed, including spiramycin (31-100%). Mepacrine at a dose of 100 mg/kg had mild activity (19%), while lasalocid (10 mg/kg) and sulfadimethoxine (60 mg/kg) exhibited a 0.1% and 13%, activity respectively. This experimental immuno-suppressed rat model appears suitable for screening candidate drugs either for preventive or curative treatment of cryptosporidiosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Parasitologie, C.H.R.U., Rouen, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brasseur
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lemeteil
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ballet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003049:Coccidiostats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D007082:Ileum / Q000469:parasitology; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D003049:Coccidiostats