Anti-cryptosporidial drug activity screened with an immunosuppressed rat model.

Cryptosporidium parvum, a coccidian parasite can cause mild or severe self-limiting diarrhea in immunocompetent humans, but chronic and life-threatening in immunocompromised individuals. An immunosuppressed rat model with persistent cryptosporidiosis was used to investigate the anti-cryptosporidial activity of drugs. Using curative procedures, no activity was found with 6 antibiotics assayed, including spiramycin (31-100%). Mepacrine at a dose of 100 mg/kg had mild activity (19%), while lasalocid (10 mg/kg) and sulfadimethoxine (60 mg/kg) exhibited a 0.1% and 13%, activity respectively. This experimental immuno-suppressed rat model appears suitable for screening candidate drugs either for preventive or curative treatment of cryptosporidiosis.