Atabrine Therapy of Histoplasma Infections in Mice

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Abstract
Infections induced in mice by the intraperit. injn. of yeast phase H. capsulatum organisms in 5% hog gastric mucin were treated with atabrine delivered intraperit. in 0.5 ml. of sterile water. Treatment was begun immediately after infection and continued for 30 days. In treated mice receiving 0.075, 0.5, 0.30, 0.60 and 0.75 mg. doses the respective death rates were 68.6, 76.5, 74.3, 42.4 and 28.1% as compared to that of 66.7% among untreated controls. The combined death rate obtained in 5 separate studies conducted at monthly intervals was 74.4% for untreated controls which was significantly greater than the 58 and 41.1% obtained with the groups receiving 0.3 and 0.6 mg. of atabrine, respectively. H. capsulatum was isolated from both treated and untreated animals, indicating that the drug exerts a suppressive rather than a lethal effect on the organism in vivo. However, since there are no other non-toxic agents available for the treatment of histoplasmosis and since high concentrations of atabrine are deposited in reticulo-endothelial tissue where H. capsulatum also accumulates, the findings reported in this paper encourage therapeutic trial of atabrine in human histoplasmosis.