Efficacy of anidulafungin, caspofungin and fluconazole in the early phase of infection in a neutropenic murine invasive candidiasis model

Krishnan-Natesan, Suganthini; Manavathu, Elias K.; Cutright, Jessica L.; Chandrasekar, Pranatharthi H.

doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2010.02.020

« Previous Next »International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
Volume 36, Issue 1 , Pages 33-36, July 2010

Efficacy of anidulafungin, caspofungin and fluconazole in the early phase of infection in a neutropenic murine invasive candidiasis model

Suganthini Krishnan-Natesan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA
- Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Wayne State University/John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, 4646 John R Street, Room B4326, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. Tel.: +1 313 576 4486; fax: +1 313 577 1858.
Elias K. Manavathu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
Jessica L. Cutright
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
Pranatharthi H. Chandrasekar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA

Received 10 June 2009; accepted 13 February 2010. published online 20 April 2010.

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the in vivo efficacy of anidulafungin during the early phase of disseminated candidiasis in a neutropenic murine model and compared the results with those obtained for fluconazole. Antifungal efficacy was evaluated by reduction of fungal burden in the tissues of infected animals at periodic intervals during the first day of treatment. The fungal burden in tissues of drug-treated mice was reduced compared with controls in a time-dependent manner. At 24h after drug treatment, a >2log₁₀ reduction of fungal burden in the kidney was obtained in the anidulafungin- and caspofungin-treated mice compared with a ca. 1.2log₁₀ reduction in fluconazole-treated mice (P<0.003). There was no significant difference in the splenic fungal burden at 24h. Thus, echinocandins have excellent antifungal activity in the early phase of disseminated Candida albicans infection and may contribute to an improved outcome in critically ill immunocompromised/neutropenic patients.