Micafungin alone and in combination therapy with deferasirox against Pythium insidiosum

Abstract

This study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo activity of micafungin alone and in combination with the iron chelator deferasirox against Pythium insidiosum. Micafungin showed a poor in vitro activity when it was used alone, but synergistic interactions were observed for 88.2% of the strains when the drug was combined with deferasirox. Smaller lesions were observed in infected rabbits receiving the combination therapy, although it favored disease dissemination to the lungs. The present results show that micafungin alone is ineffective against P. insidiosum, and the combination micafungin-deferasirox might have deleterious effects for the host.

Keywords: Chélateur du fer; Echinocandin; Iron chelator; Oomycete; Oomycète; Sensibilité; Susceptibility; Échinocandine.