Folia Parasitologica 50[1] 19-22 (2003) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2003.003

Long-lasting anticryptosporidial activity of nitazoxanide in an immunosuppressed rat model

Xunde Li¹, Philippe Brasseur¹, Patrice Agnamey¹, Denis Leméteil¹, Loïc Favennec¹, Jean-Jacques Ballet², Jean-François Rossignol³

¹ Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine-Pharmacie, and ADEN, UPRES-EA 3234, 76138 Rouen, France

² Laboratoire d'Immunologie et Immunopathologie, CHU Clemenceau, 14033 Caen Cedex, France

³ Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK

Cryptosporidium parvum, Tyzzer, 1912 is identified as a common cause of diarrhoea in immunocompetent individuals. In immunocompromised, especially HIV-infected subjects, cryptosporidiosis causes severe chronic diarrhoea. In this study, nitazoxanide (NTZ) was compared for curative activity with sinefungin (SNF) and paromomycin (PRM) in immunosuppressed rats, a screening model for anticryptosporidial agents. NTZ at either 50 mg/kg/day, 100 mg/kg/day or 200 mg/kg/day resulted in seven days in a dose-dependent inhibition of oocyst shedding similar to that obtained with SNF (10 mg/kg/day) and PRM (100 mg/kg/day). Further discontinuation of SNF or PRM 100 mg/kg/day therapy resulted in early relapse of oocyst shedding which reached the pre-treatment levels in 2-4 days. In contrast, seven days after discontinuation of therapy, shedding inhibition was unchanged in NTZ-treated rats. Data prompt further assessment of the activity of NTZ on sequestered C. parvum.

Keywords: Cryptosporidium parvum, nitazoxanide, immunosuppressed rat model

Received: June 10, 2002; Accepted: October 2, 2002; Published: March 1, 2003  Show citation