Parasiticidal effect of clindamycin on Toxoplasma gondii grown in cultured cells and selection of a drug-resistant mutant

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Abstract
Clindamycin, which has been reported to have no significant in vitro activity against Toxoplasma gondii, actually markedly inhibits the growth of this parasite in infected human fibroblasts. When measured 3 days after treatment, the concentration required to reduce parasite growth by 50% is about 1 ng/ml. Some observers failed to note this inhibition because of its markedly delayed onset. At 6 ng/ml, clindamycin is parasiticidal, and the rate and extent of parasite killing increase with higher drug concentrations. With the aid of chemical mutagenesis, we isolated a parasite mutant that is approximately 100-fold more resistant to clindamycin than is the wild type. Lincomycin inhibits T. gondii at a higher 50% inhibitory concentration, about 100 ng/ml. The clindamycin-resistant mutant is partially cross-resistant to lincomycin.