In vivo activity of paromomycin against susceptible and multidrug- resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. avium complex strains

Encouraged by in vitro results, we have assessed the in vivo activity of paromomycin (PRM) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant (MDR) M. tuberculosis (resistant to isoniazid, rifampin, and streptomycin), and Mycobacterium avium complex in C57BL/6 mice and their beige counterparts. In all these experiments, PRM was effective in preventing mortality from a mycobacterial infection and was significantly more active than the drug-free control (P < 0.0005) in reducing the CFU relative to the mean log CFU in the lungs, livers, and spleens of infected animals. In the drug-susceptible M. tuberculosis experiment, PRM given at 100 and 200 mg/kg of body weight was significantly less active than isoniazid at 25 mg/kg (P < 0.0005) in reducing the mean log CFU in the lungs, livers, and spleens of infected mice. In the MDR M. tuberculosis experiment, PRM given at 200 mg/kg was effective, relative to the drug-free control, in reducing the mean log CFU of an isolate of M. tuberculosis resistant to isoniazid, rifampin, and streptomycin. In the M. avium complex experiment, PRM given at 200 mg/kg was as effective as amikacin at 50 mg/kg in reducing the mean log CFU in the lungs, livers, and spleens of infected mice. On the basis of our experiments, we believe that PRM has promising activity in vivo in the treatment of infections caused by M. tuberculosis, MDR M. tuberculosis, and M. avium complex.