A diffusion chamber technique for testing of antifungal drugs against Sporothrix schenckii in vivo.

Growth of the yeast form of Sporothrix schenckii (ATCC 14804) was determined in diffusion chambers with 0.45 and 3.0 micron pore size over a period of 24 to 192 h after subcutaneous implantation into mice. Numbers of S. schenckii in 0.45 micron chambers increased significantly by 192 h when inocula of 10(3) and 10(5) colony forming units were implanted. In chambers with a pore size of 3.0 microns, only a slight decrease of fungal growth occurred, although host cells readily passed the filter membrane and phagocytosed yeast-form cells. The activities of amphotericin B, ketoconazole, itraconazole, ICI 153.066, vibunazole and potassium iodide against S. schenckii in implanted chambers were determined in terms of their effects on S. schenckii. ICI 153.066, ketoconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B significantly reduced the numbers of reisolated S. schenckii in both types of chambers. There was a slight activity with vibunazole but none with potassium iodide.