Therapeutic efficacy of posaconazole against Candida glabrata in a murine model of vaginitis

Abstract

The frequency of mucosal infections caused by Candida glabrata has increased significantly. Candida glabrata infections are often resistant to many azole antifungal agents, especially fluconazole. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacies of posaconazole (PSC) and fluconazole (FLC) in the treatment of experimental C. glabrata vaginitis caused by isolates with different FLC susceptibilities. A battery of 36 vaginal isolates of C. glabrata was tested against PSC and FLC to determine their in vitro susceptibilities. The 48-h geometric mean MICs for all isolates tested were 0.156 and 4.238 μg ml(-1) for PSC and FLC respectively. Two strains of C. glabrata for which FLC MICs were different were selected for in vivo study. The treatment regimens for the vaginal murine infection model were PSC or FLC at 10 or 20 mg kg(-1) of body weight/day and 20 mg kg(-1) twice a day. Regimens with PSC at 20 mg kg(-1) once or twice a day were effective in reducing the load of both the FLC-susceptible and -resistant isolates of C. glabrata. FLC at 20 mg kg(-1) twice a day was effective in reducing the load of both the isolates of C. glabrata. PSC displayed a more effective in vivo activity than FLC in the treatment of murine C. glabrata vaginitis.