[In vivo and in vitro antifungal activity of fluconazole]

We examined in vivo efficacy and in vitro activity of fluconazole, a novel triazole antifungal agent, and obtained results which are summarized as follows: 1. Fluconazole showed a higher serum concentration than ketoconazole after oral administration to mice. The 50% effective dose of fluconazole administered orally to mice was similar to that of fluconazole injected to mice intraperitoneally in a systemic candidiasis model. 2. Prophylactic effects of fluconazole were excellent against systemic candidiasis, cryptococcosis and aspergillosis in mice in comparison with those of ketoconazole and miconazole. 3. The multiple administration of fluconazole effectively decreased the number of viable cells of Candida albicans colonized in kidneys of mice when the serum level of fluconazole was kept to exceed its IC99 values against the inoculated pathogen. Thus, a good correlation between the in vitro activity of fluconazole and its in vivo efficacy was confirmed. In vivo efficacies of ketoconazole and miconazole, however, failed to reflect their marked in vitro activities. 4. C. albicans No. 32 developed no drug-resistance to fluconazole during transfers in medium containing fluonazole at a concentration of 1 micrograms/ml.