OBJECTIVES: Currently, for actinomycetoma, combined antimicrobial therapy is preferred to the use of a single compound. This is in order to provide a broader-spectrum coverage due to a combinatory or synergistic effect between the drugs, and to decrease the possibility of emergence of natural resistant strains. A new oxazolidinone pro-drug, DA-7218 [(R)-3-(4-(2-(2-methyltetrazol-5-yl)-pyridin-5-yl)-3-fluorophenyl)-2-oxo-5-oxazolidinyl) methyl-disodium-phosphate] (recently re-named TR-701), has shown very good in vitro and in vivo activities against several gram-positive bacteria including Nocardia spp. METHODS: In the present work we evaluated the effect of DA-7218 at two different doses, alone and combined with trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole (SXT), in an experimental Nocardia brasiliensis actinomycetoma murine model. We also included a negative and a positive control group (linezolid and saline solution respectively). RESULTS: At the end of the treatment period, we observed a clinically and statistically significant difference among the drug receiving groups (combined, alone and linezolid) and the control group (P=0.004). The difference was higher (P= 0.004) between the groups receiving DA-7218 (25mg/kg) alone or combined with SXT, and the control group (saline solution). CONCLUSIONS: In this work we proved that DA-7218 alone and combined with SXT is effective in the treatment of experimental actinomycetoma by Nocardia brasiliensis and that it could be potentially useful in the treatment of human actinomycetoma.
OBJECTIVES: Currently, for actinomycetoma, combined antimicrobial therapy is preferred to the use of a single compound. This is in order to provide a broader-spectrum coverage due to a combinatory or synergistic effect between the drugs, and to decrease the possibility of emergence of natural resistant strains. A new oxazolidinone pro-drug, DA-7218 [(R)-3-(4-(2-(2-methyltetrazol-5-yl)-pyridin-5-yl)-3-fluorophenyl)-2-oxo-5-oxazolidinyl) methyl-disodium-phosphate] (recently re-named TR-701), has shown very good in vitro and in vivo activities against several gram-positive bacteria including Nocardia spp. METHODS: In the present work we evaluated the effect of DA-7218 at two different doses, alone and combined with trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole (SXT), in an experimental Nocardia brasiliensis actinomycetomamurine model. We also included a negative and a positive control group (linezolid and saline solution respectively). RESULTS: At the end of the treatment period, we observed a clinically and statistically significant difference among the drug receiving groups (combined, alone and linezolid) and the control group (P=0.004). The difference was higher (P= 0.004) between the groups receiving DA-7218 (25mg/kg) alone or combined with SXT, and the control group (saline solution). CONCLUSIONS: In this work we proved that DA-7218 alone and combined with SXT is effective in the treatment of experimental actinomycetoma by Nocardia brasiliensis and that it could be potentially useful in the treatment of humanactinomycetoma.