In vitro and in vivo activity of miltefosine against penicillin-sensitive and -resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains.

The in vitro and in vivo activity of miltefosine against penicillin-sensitive and penicillin-resistant pneumococcal strains was studied. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of miltefosine were determined in cation-adjusted Mueller Hinton plus 2% lysed horse blood (CAMHB) and in Todd-Hewitt (TH) broth. The respective MICs were higher using CAMHB (128 and 64 mg/L) than using TH broth (4 and 8 mg/L). The in vivo activity was studied in a murine peritonitis-sepsis model. Miltefosine was orally administered at doses of 15 and 30 mg/kg/day after, at the time of, and before bacterial challenge for 3-5 days. All control and 16 out of the 17 (94.1%) miltefosine-treated animals that were inoculated with the penicillin-sensitive strain died. No survival was observed among control and miltefosine-treated animals inoculated with the penicillin-resistant pneumococcal strain. The in vivo unresponsiveness of miltefosine in this sepsis model could be attributed to some inhibitory effect of blood, inadequate pharmacokinetics and/or the extracellular localization of the pneumococcus.