Spectrum of the antimalarial activity of a new macrolide antibiotic midecamycin in mice and monkeys.
The antimalarial activity of a new macrolide antibiotic, midecamycin, has been evaluated against a sensitive strain of Plasmodium berghei, a chloroquine-resistant strain of P. yoelii nigeriensis and a simian parasite, P. cynomolgi B. The ED50 and ED90 values of this antibiotic administered in two divided daily doses were found to be 37.15 +/- 3.51 and 100.84 +/- 7.54 mg/kg, respectively, against P. berghei and 362.34 +/- 85.33 and 878.04 +/- 10.02 mg/kg, respectively, against P. yoelii nigeriensis. Doses above 45 mg/kg for 4 days significantly extended the mean survival time of treated mice infected with either of the two parasites. However, no appreciable blood schizontocidal (at 100 mg/kg X 7 days), anti-relapse (at 100 mg/kg X 7 days) or causal prophylactic activities (at 200 mg/kg X 3 days) were observed against P. cynomolgi infection in rhesus monkeys.
Division of Microbiology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
S K
SK
Puri
G P
GP
Dutta
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007933:Leucomycins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male
D000962:Antimalarials; D007933:Leucomycins; C026483:midecamycin