Systemic antifungal activity of pyrrolnitrin.

The antifungal activity of pyrrolnitrin, previously shown to be effective against superficial infections, was evaluated against experimental systemic mycoses. Pyrrolnitrin was inhibitory in vitro at <0.78 to 100 mug/ml to Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Sporotrichum schenckii, and Histoplasma capsulatum. Pyrrolnitrin activity was reduced about 90% in sera. After multiple subcutaneous doses of pyrrolnitrin at 20 mg/kg, activity was recovered in mouse blood and urine as well as kidney, liver, and brain homogenates. Multiple daily doses (50 mg/kg) of this antibiotic were effective in reducing by 74% the number of viable cells of C. albicans recovered from kidney homogenates. Multiple doses (15 mg/kg) resulted in a 74% reduction in the number of C. neoformans from brain homogenates. Pyrrolnitrin was ineffective in reducing the recovery of B. dermatitidis or H. capsulatum from liver or spleen homogenates of infected mice. When compared with amphotericin B, hamycin, 5-fluorocytosine, and saramycetin, this antibiotic was less effective. This study indicates that pyrrolnitrin would have limited usefulness as a systemic antifungal agent.