EFFECT OF METRONIDAZOLE ON IN VITRO ISOLATES OF Tritrichomonas foetus

MARÍA BELÉN RIVERO; MARÍA EUGENIA ABDALA; MELCHOR EMILIO LUQUE; PEDRO GABRIEL CARRANZA; FERNANDO DAVID RIVERO

Buenos Aires

Congreso; REUNIÓN CONJUNTA DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIAS; 2017

SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INVESTIGACIÓN CLÍNICA

?Bovine Trichomonosis? (BT), caused by infection with the flagellatedparasite Tritrichomonas foetus, is a sexually transmitted diseaselimited to the urogenital tract of cattle. In Argentina, BT is endemicand a relevant health problem as it causes reproductive inefficiencyin cattle, which is accompanied by large economic losses. For decades,Metronidazole has been the drug of choice in the treatment ofBT. However, more recently both aerobic and anaerobic resistancehave been reported, in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Presently, littleis known as to Metronidazole values for minimal lethal (MLC) andminimum inhibitory (MIC) concentrations against these parasites.Thus, the goal of the present study was to explore the susceptibilityof six different isolates of T. foetus under aerobic (AC) and anaerobic(ANC) conditions. Isolates were obtained from three Argentine provinces,Buenos Aires (1), Salta (4) and Santa Fe (1). The 24-h exposuretimes of isolates to the drug rendered MLC values in the rangeof 2.5 - 5 μg/mL and ≥5 μg/mL for ANC and AC conditions, respectively,while the values after 48-h were 1.25 ? 2.5 μg/mL and 2.5 and5 μg/mL, for ANC and AC conditions, respectively. MIC values after24 h were between 1.25 - 2.5 μg/mL and 2.5 and >5 μg/mL for ANCand AC, respectively, while the 48 h values were between 0.625 and1.25 μg/mL and 1.25 and 2.5 μg/mL for ANC and AC, respectively.The present data provide updated information on T. foetus susceptibilityto Metronidazole, which reveal both MLC and MIC higher values than those previously reported in available bibliographic records.