title: Azole antifungals as novel chemotherapeutic agents against murine tuberculosis.
abstract: The present study was designed to evaluate the in vivo antimycobacterial potential of econazole alone and in combination with antitubercular drugs against tuberculosis in mice. Econazole was found to reduce bacterial burden by 90% in the lungs and spleen of mice infected with 1 x 10(7) cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and was found to be equipotent to rifampicin. Further, our results indicate that econazole can replace rifampicin/isoniazid as well as both rifampicin and isoniazid in chemotherapy of murine tuberculosis. Econazole alone or in combination with antitubercular drugs did not produce any hepatotoxicity in normal or M. tuberculosis-infected mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Zahoor
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Sadhna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Khuller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021461:Animals, Outbred Strains; D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004464:Econazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000904:Antibiotics, Antitubercular; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D004464:Econazole