Use of pradofloxacin to treat experimentally induced Mycoplasma hemofelis infection in cats.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of the fluoroquinolone pradofloxacin in the treatment of cats experimentally infected with Mycoplasma hemofelis.


METHODS
23 young adult specific-pathogen-free cats.


METHODS
Cats were inoculated with M hemofelis from a chronically infected donor and assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: a doxycycline group, a low-dose-pradofloxacin group, a high-dose-pradofloxacin group, and an untreated control group. Treatment was initiated for 14 days when M hemofelis infection was detected via PCR assay and clinical signs of hemoplasmosis were present. Cats that had negative PCR assay results after treatment were administered a glucocorticoid and monitored via PCR assay for an additional 4 weeks.


RESULTS
All cats yielded positive results for M hemofelis via conventional PCR and quantitative PCR assays and developed anemia. The low-dose-pradofloxacin group had significantly lower M hemofelis copy numbers than the doxycycline group. Six cats treated with pradofloxacin yielded negative results during treatment. Of those cats, 4 yielded negative conventional PCR assay results and all yielded negative quantitative PCR assay results for M hemofelis 1 month after administration of high-dose glucocorticoids.


CONCLUSIONS
Pradofloxacin had anti-M hemofelis effects similar to those of doxycycline. In addition, pradofloxacin may be more effective at long-term M hemofelis organism clearance than doxycycline.
Dowers
Kristy L
KL
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80512, USA.
Tasker
Séverine
S
Radecki
Steven V
SV
Lappin
Michael R
MR
D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D002415:Cats; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D024841:Fluoroquinolones / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011897:Random Allocation; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; C507250:pradofloxacin; D004318:Doxycycline