title: In vitro activity of polyoxin D and nikkomycin Z against Encephalitozoon cuniculi.
abstract: Microsporidia of the genus Encephalitozoon are emerging protozoal agents that mainly infect immunocompromised patients with AIDS. At present, disseminated infections with members of the genus Encephalitozoon can only be successfully treated with albendazole. As chitin is a basic component of the microsporidian spore. we evaluated, in vitro, the susceptibility of a human-derived strain of Encephalitozoon cuniculi to polyoxin D and nikkomycin Z, which are known competitive inhibitors of chitin synthetase enzymes. Using an in vitro assay, polyoxin D at 1, 10 and 100 microg/ml significantly reduced the number of parasitic foci on days 6, 9, and 15 post-infection. However, nikkomycin Z revealed a marked but lower reduction in the number of parasitic foci than polyoxin D. A significant reduction of parasitic foci was achieved for nikkomycin Z at 10 and 100 microg/ml up to day 9 post-infection. Polyoxin D was approximately tenfold more effective in our in vitro assay than nikkomycin Z.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. sobottka@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sobottka
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bartscht
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weitzel
authors.forename: Justus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schottelius
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kock
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laufs
mesh_terms: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002687:Chitin Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009670:Encephalitozoon cuniculi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D011741:Pyrimidine Nucleosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D033761:Spores, Protozoan / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011741:Pyrimidine Nucleosides; C011952:nikkomycin; C002458:polyoxorim; D002687:Chitin Synthase