Abstract
Summary and Conclusions
The chemotherapeutic action of streptomycin used alone or in combination with one of two sulfones or sulfadiazine was studied in experimental tuberculosis in guinea pigs.
Evidence has been obtained to indicate that the therapeutic effect from combined treatment is greater than the sum of effects from the individual components.
The chemotherapeutic effectiveness (ratio of extent of tuberculous involvement in a group of untreated controls and treated groups) in a group of guinea pigs treated with 40 mg (40,000 units) streptomycin per kg of body weight daily was 14.4. Previously treatment with 10 to 15 mg per kg per day under similar conditions gave a chemotherapeutic effectiveness of 5.2.
The chemotherapeutic effectiveness of combined therapy with 20 mg streptomycin per kg per day plus 500 mg 4-amino-4′-propylaminodiphenylsulfone per kg per day was 28.6. The chemotherapeutic effectiveness of the sulfone alone was 3.7.
Similar though less marked potentiation was obtained in combined therapy with streptomycin and 4-amino-4′-succinimido-diphenylsulfone. By itself this latter sulfone was less effective than the n-propyl derivative.
Combined therapy with streptomycin and sulfadiazine, a substance of doubtful efficacy in experimental tuberculosis, gave inconclusive evidence of potentiation.
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