01522nas a2200241 4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001200059653001200071653002000083653001100103653001200114653000900126653002500135653001300160100001300173700002100186245009900207300001100306490000700317520094200324022001401266 1989 d c1989 Oct-Dec10aAnimals10aDapsone10aDrug Antagonism10aFemale10aleprosy10aMice10aMycobacterium leprae10aRifampin1 aMillan J1 aMoulia-Pelat J P00a[Dapsone inhibition of the bactericidal action of rifampicin on Mycobacterium leprae in mice]. a337-410 v493 a

In the experimental infection of mice by Mycobacterium leprae, the bactericidal effect of 4 weekly doses of rifampicin (RMP) is completely suppressed if this administration is preceded by a daily treatment of dapsone (DDS) during one month then continued in conjunction with rifampicin. The application of this methodology: the delayed adding of rifampicin clearly shows the bacillary persistence induced by dapsone (DDS). The rifampicin appears to be less effective on Mycobacterium leprae when its metabolism is inhibited either by the action of a drug such as dapsone (DDS), or spontaneously. The highlighting of this late-appearing antagonism between rifampicin and dapsone in mice, should not at present lead to the questioning of the therapeutic procedures recommended by the WHO, because of the limits of this experimental model, namely the small size of bacillary populations studied over relatively short periods of time.

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