D-allose and D-psicose reinforce the action of metronidazole on trichomonad.

The effects of D-allose and D-psicose on Tritrichomonas foetus were examined. They were cultured in F-bouillon medium including glucose, but had never increased when glucose was substituted to those sugars. When cultured in a medium including a dose of ED(50) metronidazole and those sugars, trichomonad density was significantly less than that in a medium with metronidazole only. D-Allose remarkably reinforced the action of metronidazole. This means there are some interactions between metronidazole and those sugars. Although the mechanism is not clear, by using those sugars for treatment with metronidazole, the drug dosage could be lowered and the development of drug resistance of trichomonad parasites might be prevented.