Studies of the Chemotherapy of Leprosy

(XXIV) Effect of Ethambutol, Capreomycin sulfate on the Development of Murine Leprosy

Abstract

The effect of anti-tubercular agents Ethambutol (d-2, 2'-(ethylene diimino)-di-1-butanol 2Hl; Ebutol, Kaken) and Capreomycin sulfate (Capastat, Shionogi) on the development of murine leprosy was investigated.
Method: A total of 100 female mice (ddO) were inoculated subcutaneously with a suspension of Hawaiian strain, and Ethambutol(10mg, oral) or Capreomycin sulfate (0.5mg, intramuscular) given by the 6 days per week method. The control was left untreated or give INH, or Streptomycin. The inhibitory effect was evaluated by both of the Nishimura-Iwasa's method and the observation of spread tissue specimens from the subcutaneous connective tissue where the bacilli had been inoculated, at weekly intervals up to 5 weeks after the inoculation.
Results: Both examination methods showed that Ethambutol and Capreomycin sulfate not suppressed murine leprosy. The spread tissue method gave highly accurate results and were well coincident with the results by the Nishimura-Iwasa's method suggesting that this is a useful method for screening using murine leprosy.