USE OF THIAMPHENICOL AND DERIVATIVES THEREOF FOR THE PREPARATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS USEFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF <i>CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE</i> INFECTIONS

Abstract: Use of thiamphenicol and derivatives thereof for the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions useful for the treatment of <i>Chlamydia pneumoniae</i> infections is described.

Description: "Use of thiamphemcol and deπvatives thereof for the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions useful in the treatment of Chlamydia pneumomae infections" ********************************* The present invention relates to the use of thiamphemcol and deπvatives thereof for the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions useful in the treatment of Chlamydia pneumomae infections Chlamydia pneumomae is an intracellular bacteπum recently considered responsible of respiratory infections both of the upper tract and the lower tract This bacteπum is one of the most widespread human pathogens and pπmary infections in children from 5 to 14 years have been supported by documentary evidence In children the infection is generally mild and asymptomatic, but can be more seπous in adult and elderly Chlamydia pneumomae is responsible for about 10% of cases of atypical pneumonia and of 5% of cases of bronchitis It has also been associated with respiratory airways diseases and with new onset asthma and asthmatic bronchitis in the adults Sinusitis caused by Chlamydia pneumomae also associated with infections of the lower respiratory tract has been descnbed and, moreover, Chlamydia pneumomae has been isolated from middle ear fluids of patients with otitis media For a survey of the pathologies associated to Chlamydia pneumomae infections see F Blasi, Clinical Microbiology and Infections , vol 1, Suppl 1, March 1996, SI 4-S 18 Among the antibiotics more commonly used in therapy, azithromycm and, in particular, claπthromycin resulted active in vitro against Chlamydia pneumomae and others agents involved in these infections and therefore they are potential therapeutical agents in the treatment of Chlamydia pneumomae infections Some quinolonic antibiotics too, offer a potential therapy for Chlamydia pneumomae infections In the cases of Chlamydia pneumomae infection the antibiotic treatment can require a long peπod and cases of Chlamydia pneumomae chronic persistent infections in which the antibiotic therapy has failed have already been reported The restπcted number of antibiotics useful in the treatment of Chlamydia pneumomae infections and the increasing importance that these mfections are assuming from a clinical point of view, make necessary the identifying of antibiotics active against Chlamydia pneumomae Thiamphemcol (The Merck Index, XII ed , No 9436, page 1587) is a known antibiotic used for the treatment of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteπal infection In the treatment of respiratory pathologies thiamphemcol is often used as glycinate hydrochlonde or acetylcys- teinate, l e an ester of thiamphemcol sa fied with hydrochloπc acid or with acetylcysteine respectively To our knowledge no data concerning the activity of thiamphemcol or deπvatives thereof versus Chlamydia pneumomae is reported in the literature It is known instead that thiam- phemcol is active against Chlamydia trachomatis, a pathogen responsible of urogenital apparatus infections, but its activity is markedly lower than that of other antibiotics, such as for example erythromycin [G Ridgeway et al , J Antimicrob Chemother (1979), 5(4), 483-4] We have now found that thiamphemcol is particularly effective in the treatment of infections caused by Chlamydia pneumomae It is therefore an object of the present invention the use of thiamphemcol and deπvatives thereof for the preparation of a pharmaceutical compositions useful in the treatment of Chlamydia pneumomae infections The pharmaceutical compositions useful in the present invention are compositions for enteral or parenteral use containing thiamphe col or deπvatives thereof such as, for example, thi- amphenicol glycinate and salts thereof Particularly preferred is the use of thiamphemcol glycinate acetylcysteinate Also preferred is the use of thiamphemcol glycinate hydrochlonde The amount of active ingredient, expressed as thiamphenicol, contained in the pharmaceutical composition may change depending on the administration way and on the senousness of the infection but is generally comprised between 250 mg and 5000 mg per dose, more preferably between 500 mg and 2000 mg The pharmaceutical compositions can be in a solid or liquid form, suitable for administenng by lnjectable, oral or aerosol route Preferred are the pharmaceutical compositions suitable for administenng by aerosol or m- jectable route More preferred are the pharmaceutical compositions suitable for administenng by aerosol or m j ectable route containing thiamphemcol glycinate hydrochlonde or acetylcysteinate Particularly suitable are the pharmaceutical compositions already on the market with the trademark FLUIMUCIL ANTIBIOTICO ® and GLITISOL ® The thiamphemcol efficacy against strams of Chlamydia pneumomae of recent clinical isolation has been demonstrated in vitro by calculating the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) in compaπson with other antibiotics It is important to underline as thiamphemcol showed a MIC completely comparable, or better, with respect to that of reference antibiotics already used in therapy for the treatment of Chlamydia pneumomae infections With the aim to better illustrate the present invention the following example is now given Mateπals and methods Chlamydia pneumomae strams Chlamydia pneumomae TW183 and Chlamydia pneumomae 2023 were obtained from American Type Culture Collection The other strains (No 9 isolated) were clinically isolated ln the penod 1997-1999 Antibiotics The following antibiotics were used thiamphemcol glycinate acetylcysteinate (TGA), azithromycin, ciprofioxacm, ceftnaxone, amoxicilhn, clanthromycin, doxycyclme and tetra- cychne hydrochlonde Cell cultures Monolayers of Hep-2 cells were prepared by seeding 2 x 10 5 cell/ml in EMEM with 10% fetal calf serum supplemented with L-glutammine, on 12 mm cover slips and left at 35°C, 5% C0 2 for 24 to 48 hours for confluent growth The growth medium was removed and Hep-2 monolayers were inoculated with the different strains at predeterminated concentration calculated to give 3-5 x 10 2 inclusions for well The monolayers, moculated with Chlamydia pneumomae were centnfuged at 1700 g for 60 minutes at 30°C Supernatant was removed and was replaced with 2 0 ml of EMEM containing 2% fetal calf serum, L-glutammine, cycloheximide 1 μg/ml and different dilutions of the tested antibiot- ICS In positive control no antibiotic was added and negative control were considered wells not inoculated with Chlamydia pneumomae Cells were incubated at 35°C in atmosphere additionated with 5% C0 2 , for 3 days, then the monolayers were fixed with acetone for 10 minutes at -20°C and stained with a fluorescein- coniugated antibody specific for Chlamydia pneumomae (Argene Biosoft) and observed under a fluorescence microscope All tests were run in duplicate The number of inclusions were counted and the MIC (the lowest concentration at which complete inhibition of inclusion formation was observed) was determined Results The activities of the tested antibiotics are shown in table 1 Table 1 Antimicrobic activity in vitro against stains of Chlamydia pneumomae Clanthromycin and thiamphemcol glycinate acetylcysteinate (TGA) are the most active anti- biotics (MIC range 0 03 and 0 25 μg/ml for both) In table 2 the MIC values per strain of each test are shown Table 2 All the values are under the break point (thiamphemcol <16 μg/ml, clanthromycin <2 μg/ml, amoxicillin <2 μg/ml, doxycycl e <4 μg/ml, ciprofloxacin <1 μg/ml, tetracycline <2 μg/ml) except for azithromycin (<1 μg/ml) and ceftπaxone (<2 μg/ml) Moreover thiamphe col has shown the best value of the ratio between MIC (0 03-0 25 μg/ml) and break pomt (<16 μg/ml) in compaπson with the others antimicrobial compounds the break point values of which are lower than thiamphemcol

Claims: Claims 1) Use of thiamphemcol and deπvatives thereof for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition useful for the treatment of Chlamydia pneumomae infections 2) Use accordmg to claim 1 wherein thiamphenicol is used as thiamphemcol glycmate or salts thereof 3) Use accordmg to claim 2 wherein thiamphemcol is used as thiamphemcol glycmate acetylcysteinate 4) Use according to claim 2 wherein thiamphemcol is used as thiamphemcol glycmate hy- drochloπde 5) Use accordmg to claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical composition is suitable for aerosol and injectable administration 6) Use accordmg to claim 1 wherein the amount of thiamphemcol is compπsed between 250 mg and 5000 mg

Inventors: COLOMBO GIOVANNI BATTISTA, DRAGO LORENZO, GISMONDO MARIA RITA, LICCIARDELLO LUCIANO, UNGHERI DOMENICO, COLOMBO, GIOVANNI,BATTISTA, DRAGO, LORENZO, GISMONDO, MARIA,RITA, LICCIARDELLO, LUCIANO, UNGHERI, DOMENICO
Applicants: COLOMBO GIOVANNI BATTISTA, DRAGO LORENZO, GISMONDO MARIA RITA, LICCIARDELLO LUCIANO, UNGHERI DOMENICO, ZAMBON SPA, COLOMBO, GIOVANNI,BATTISTA, DRAGO, LORENZO, GISMONDO, MARIA,RITA, LICCIARDELLO, LUCIANO, UNGHERI, DOMENICO, ZAMBON GROUP S.P.A.
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A61K31
IPC codes: A61K31, A61P11, A61P27, A61P31