Treatment with interleukin 12 in combination with atovaquone or clindamycin significantly increases survival of mice with acute toxoplasmosis

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1997 Jan;41(1):188-90. doi: 10.1128/AAC.41.1.188.

Abstract

The capacity of interleukin 12 (IL-12) to potentiate drugs in the treatment of murine toxoplasmosis was examined. IL-12 (100 ng/injection), atovaquone (10 mg/kg of body weight/day), or clindamycin (5 mg/kg/day) administered alone caused delayed time to death or minimal survival rates. In contrast, significant survival rates resulted when the same dose of IL-12 was used in combination the same doses of atovaquone (P=0.01) or clindamycin (P=0.001). Infected mice treated with IL-12 plus drug produced significantly higher levels of gamma interferon than controls. Although IL-12 was effective only when administered before infection, these results suggest that this cytokine may be a useful adjunct in the therapy of human toxoplasmosis in situations when cysts reactivate and tachyzoites start multiplying in immunocompromised patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Atovaquone
  • Clindamycin / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Synergism
  • Female
  • Interferon-gamma / analysis
  • Interleukin-12 / therapeutic use*
  • Interleukin-2 / analysis
  • Interleukin-4 / analysis
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Naphthoquinones / therapeutic use*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / drug therapy*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / immunology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antiprotozoal Agents
  • Interleukin-2
  • Naphthoquinones
  • Interleukin-12
  • Interleukin-4
  • Clindamycin
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Atovaquone