01787nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653001500067653002700082653002300109653001200132653000900144653000900153653002400162653003200186653002500218653001400243100001500257700001700272245007400289300001100363490000600374520111500380022001401495       1997                            d  c1997 Jan10aAnimals10aArmadillos10aDisease Models, Animal10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMale10aMice10aMice, Inbred BALB C10aMicrobial Sensitivity Tests10aMycobacterium leprae10aRifabutin1 aDhople A M1 aWilliams S L00aThe activity of rifabutin against Mycobacterium leprae in armadillos.  a169-730 v93 a<p>The activity of rifabutin (LM 427) against Mycobacterium leprae was evaluated in armadillos inoculated earlier with human-derived M. leprae. Rifabutin was administered daily at a dose of 6 mg/kg body weight/day. The effect of rifabutin on M. leprae harvested from armadillos was determined by measuring the intracellular levels of ATP (an indicator of metabolic activity) of M. leprae and also their ability to multiply in the mouse footpads and in vitro in DH medium. Within 2 weeks of initiating the treatment, ATP levels declined to 21% of the original (pre-treatment level) and these M. leprae failed to multiply in the footpads of mice as well as in the in vitro culture system. This suggests that rifabutin was able to kill all M. leprae within 2 weeks. After 8 weeks the treatment was terminated and results showed that M. leprae from the treated armadillos remained non-viable in the mouse footpad system as well as in the in vitro system, indicating bactericidal action of rifabutin. The results suggest that rifabutin can be a substitute for rifampin in the leprosy multi-drug therapy regimen.</p>  a0924-8579