The in vitro efficacy of antimicrobial agents against the pathogenic free-living amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris

Arine F Ahmad; Wayne Heaselgrave; Peter W Andrew; Simon Kilvington

doi:10.1111/jeu.12062

The in vitro efficacy of antimicrobial agents against the pathogenic free-living amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris

J Eukaryot Microbiol. 2013 Sep-Oct;60(5):539-43. doi: 10.1111/jeu.12062. Epub 2013 Jul 19.

Authors

Arine F Ahmad¹, Wayne Heaselgrave, Peter W Andrew, Simon Kilvington

Affiliation

¹ Department of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, University of Leicester, Maurice Shock Building, University Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, United Kingdom; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Building, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia.

PMID: 23869955
DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12062

Abstract

The free-living amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris causes usually fatal encephalitis in humans and animals. Only limited studies have investigated the efficacy of antimicrobial agents against the organism. Assay methods were developed to assess antimicrobial efficacy against both the trophozoite and cyst stage of B. mandrillaris (ATCC 50209). Amphotericin B, ciclopirox olamine, miltefosine, natamycin, paromomycin, pentamidine isethionate, protriptyline, spiramycin, sulconazole and telithromycin had limited activity with amoebacidal levels of > 135-500 μM. However, diminazene aceturate (Berenil(®) ) was amoebacidal at 7.8 μM and 31.3-61.5 μM for trophozoites and cysts, respectively. Assays for antimicrobial testing may improve the prognosis for infection and aid in the development of primary selective culture isolation media.

Keywords: Cyst; diminazene aceturate; drug assays; in vitro culture; trophozoite.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology*
Balamuthia mandrillaris / drug effects*
Cell Survival / drug effects
Parasitic Sensitivity Tests
Spores, Protozoan / drug effects

Substances

Anti-Infective Agents