[Rifapex, a new antituberculosis agent].

Clinico-roentgenologic and bacteriologic efficacy and safety of rifapex (rifapentin) were investigated in the complex therapy of 90 patients with newly recorded drug-susceptible tuberculosis. Pifapex was shown to be effective in the treatment of the patients during the acute phase of the disease, during the treatment completeness and during the short preoperative period.

[Evaluation of levofloxacin antitubercular activity in vitro and in lung tissue culture]. / Otsenka protivotuberkuleznoi aktivnosti levofloksatsina in vitro i v kul'ture legochnoi tkani.

Levofloxacin in vitro demonstrated bactericidal effect against susceptible and multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis: range of MICs was 0.25-0.5 mcg/mL, MBC-0.5-1.0 mcg/mL. Postantibiotic effect after 24-hour exposition to bactericidal concentrations was 35-39 days. Levofloxacin possesed low toxicity when tested in mice lungs tissue culture--maximum safety concentration was 50 mcg/mL. Bactericidal effect of levofloxacin started three days after exposition and was maximal by 7 days of incubation: by this time mycobacterial microcolonies destruction started with detritus formation. It is emphasized that lung cells kept their viability completely. Combination of levofloxacin with isoniazide or pirazinamide resulted in strong synergistic effect obvious after 5 days of incubation, mycobacterial colonies destruction was registered by 7th day. Combination of levofloxacin with rifampicin resulted in antagonistic effect obvious by 7th day of the contact: the resulting effect was statistically significant and was manifested as microcolonies number and size enlargement when compared to data for single levofloxacin.