Tissue distribution and antifungal effect of liposomal itraconazole in experimental cryptococcosis and pulmonary aspergillosis.

We studied the tissue distribution and in vivo antifungal effect of itraconazole, incorporated into pure dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) multilamellar liposomes and administered intravenously. Eighty percent of the itraconazole was associated with DPPC. Drug levels in lung, brain, and liver, obtained after intravenous administration of tritiated itraconazole, were higher when the drug was administered intravenously as liposomal than when it was dissolved in cyclodextrin. Administration of the liposomal formulation also led to higher and sustained levels of intact itraconazole in serum. Efficacy was assessed in DBA/2 mice infected intravenously with 3 x 10(6) Cryptococcus neoformans, an inoculum responsible for early fatal pneumonia, or 3 x 10(5) C. neoformans, leading to delayed meningitis. In pneumonia, 20 mg/kg of liposomal itraconazole was more effective on survival than the same dose given intravenously in cyclodextrin or twice the dose administered orally dissolved in polyethylene glycol 200. In meningitis, liposomal itraconazole was also more efficient than the drug dissolved in cyclodextrin. These results were confirmed by colony counts in the brain and lung of infected mice. In immunosuppressed OF1 mice infected after inhalation of Aspergillus fumigatus spores, liposomal itraconazole (20 mg/kg x 3) was the only effective treatment. We conclude that intravenous liposomal delivery of itraconazole enhances both concentrations in infected tissues and the in vivo efficacy of the drug. Such passive targeting of antifungal agents other than amphotericin B might be helpful in the treatment of severe systemic mycoses, especially in the case of lung or brain involvement.

Limited protection by small unilamellar liposomes against the renal tubular toxicity induced by repeated amphotericin B infusions in rats.

Amphotericin B (AMB), either alone or incorporated into small unilamellar vesicles of pure dipalmitoylphosphatidyl choline (DPPC SUV-AMB), was administered intravenously to male Sprague-Dawley rats once daily for 5 days. Either 1.5 or 3.5 mg of AMB or DPPC SUV-AMB per kg was given, since these concentrations corresponded, respectively, to the lowest nephrotoxic dose and the sublethal dose of AMB in our model. Tubular functions were evaluated daily, and AMB concentrations in plasma, urine, and tissues were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. AMB at both doses induced tubular toxicity, hyposthenuria being the earliest symptom. DPPC SUV-AMB at 1.5 mg/kg/day was atoxic, but the tubular alterations induced by 3.5 mg of DPPC SUV-AMB per kg were similar to those observed with 3.5 mg of AMB per kg, except that the ability to concentrate urine was partly restored 72 h after the last infusion. Incorporating AMB into DPPC SUV did not influence the pharmacokinetics of the drug. Using this lipidic AMB formulation, we thus observed a beneficial effect toward limiting the renal tubular toxicity of repeated low doses of AMB but, unexpectedly, not that of high doses. These results indicate that tubular renal functions and electrolyte serum values should be closely monitored in patients treated with AMB liposomal formulations, especially high-dose regimens.

Enhancement of the therapeutic effect of cephalosporins in experimental endocarditis by altering their pharmacokinetics with diclofenac.

We studied the effect of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac, in rabbits on the kinetics of three cephalosporins: cefotiam, cefmenoxime and ceftriaxone, and compared the antibacterial effect of these antibiotics, given alone or with diclofenac, in experimental endocarditis. Diclofenac significantly increased (P less than .05) the area under the curve in tissue-cage fluid of ceftriaxone and cefotiam-treated animals, and the terminal half-life of ceftriaxone in their sera (3.45 +/- 0.4 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.5 hr). Diclofenac reduced urinary excretion of cefotiam only. Cefmenoxime pharmacokinetics remained unchanged by diclofenac. The alteration of ceftriaxone kinetics appeared to be due to nonrenal mechanisms and could suggest reduction of biliary excretion. In Escherichia coli endocarditis, diclofenac enhanced the concentration (P less than .05) of cefotiam (23 +/- 16 vs. 8.9 +/- 5 micrograms/g) and ceftriaxone (13.2 +/- 3 vs. 8.5 +/- 4 micrograms/g) in infected vegetations, but not that of cefmenoxime. The antibacterial effect of ceftriaxone increased with diclofenac (5.5 +/- 1 vs. 7.2 +/- 1 log10 colony forming unit/g of vegetation). In vitro, neither protein binding to rabbit serum proteins nor intrinsic activity on the E. coli strain of each antibiotic was modified by diclofenac. These results suggest that anti-inflammatory drugs could increase antibiotic efficacy by altering their pharmacokinetics. The renal and nonrenal site of interaction may be involved for drugs belonging to the same class. Results obtained in tissue-cage fluid were predictive of the interference at the infected site.

Comparative efficacy of cefotiam, cefmenoxime, and ceftriaxone in experimental endocarditis and correlation with pharmacokinetics and in vitro efficacy.

To determine the influence of in vitro activity, pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic regimen on the antibacterial effect in vivo, we compared three cephalosporins, cefotiam, cefmenoxime, and ceftriaxone, in a rabbit model of experimental Escherichia coli endocarditis after 4 days of treatment. The MBCs of cefotiam, cefmenoxime, and ceftriaxone for the E. coli strain were 0.5, 0.125, and 0.06 microgram/ml, respectively. Killing curves at 10 times the MBC were similar for the three cephalosporins. In serum, the elimination half-life of ceftriaxone was twice as much as the elimination half-life of cefotiam or cefmenoxime (2.8 +/- 0.45 versus 1.4 +/- 0.25 or 1.3 +/- 0.4 h, respectively). Ceftriaxone was much more effective than cefotiam. The bacterial titer in the vegetations (log10 CFU per gram of vegetation) was 7.56 +/- 1 with cefotiam and 2.41 +/- 2.6 with ceftriaxone, as their concentrations were 18 and 466 times higher, respectively, than their MBCs. Although ceftriaxone and cefmenoxime exhibited a similar rate of killing and percentage of protein binding, ceftriaxone was more effective than cefmenoxime at the same regimen of 15 mg/kg twice a day (3.08 +/- 1.1 versus 4.82 +/- 3.2 log10 CFU/g of vegetation). When antibiotic was given as a single daily injection of 30 mg/kg, the antibacterial effect persisted for ceftriaxone, but not for cefmenoxime. The longer elimination half-life and the higher local concentration/MBC ratio of ceftriaxone explained these results. The bacterial titer measured 24 h after the fourth injection of 30 mg of ceftriaxone per kg confirmed that this regimen prevented regrowth of bacteria. These results suggest that the local antibiotic level/MBC ratio roughly correlated with the antibacterial effect and could represent an adequate basis to explain the differences observed between the drugs in vivo. They also demonstrate that, provided that the dose is sufficient, a long-acting broad-spectrum cephalosporin may be effective in severe gram-negative infections, even when given at relatively long dosing intervals, in contrast with a rapidly cleared drug with the same intrinsic activity.