Mycobacterial Diseases
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-1068
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-1068
+44 1478 350008
Deepak V Almeida
Tanzania
Research Article
Revisiting Anti-tuberculosis Activity of Pyrazinamide in Mice
Author(s): Deepak V Almeida, Sandeep Tyagi, Si-Yang Li, Kristina Wallengren, Alexander S Pym, Nicole C Ammerman, William R Bishai and Jacques H GrossetDeepak V Almeida, Sandeep Tyagi, Si-Yang Li, Kristina Wallengren, Alexander S Pym, Nicole C Ammerman, William R Bishai and Jacques H Grosset
The mechanism of action of pyrazinamide, a key sterilizing drug in the treatment of tuberculosis, remains elusive; pyrazinamide is a pro-drug that requires activation by a bacterial-encoded enzyme, and its activity is most apparent on non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Recently, it has been suggested that pyrazinamide might exert also some host-directed effect in addition to its antimicrobial activity. To address this possibility, three sequential experiments were conducted in immune-competent BALB/c and in immune-deficient, athymic nude mice. In the first experiment, BALB/c mice infected with M. bovis, which is naturally resistant to pyrazinamide because it is unable to activate the drug, were treated with standard drug regimens with and without pyrazinamide to specifically detect a host-directed effect. As no effect was observed, pyrazinamide activity was compared in M. tub.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2161-1068.1000145