title: Use of pradofloxacin to treat experimentally induced Mycoplasma hemofelis infection in cats.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80512, USA.
authors.forename: Kristy L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Dowers
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tasker
authors.forename: Steven V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Radecki
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lappin
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; C507250:pradofloxacin; D004318:Doxycycline