Efficacy evaluation of iclaprim in a neutropenic rat lung infection model with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus entrapped in alginate microspheres

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of iclaprim in a neutropenic rat lung infection model with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) entrapped in alginate beads. An inoculum of 5.25 × 10⁵ colony-forming units (CFU)/mL of S. aureus strain AH1252 was administered intratracheally to rats with prepared alginate bacteria suspensions. Beginning 2 h post-infection, rats received: (1) iclaprim 80 mg/kg (n = 16); (2) iclaprim 60 mg/kg (n = 16), or (3) vancomycin 50 mg/kg (n = 24), for 3 days via subcutaneous (SC) injection every 12 h. Twelve hours after the last treatment, rats were euthanized and lungs collected for CFU determination. Iclaprim administered at 80 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg or vancomycin 50 mg/kg SC twice a day for 3 days resulted in a 6.05 log₁₀ CFU reduction (iclaprim 80 mg/kg compared with control, p < 0.0001), 5.11 log₁₀ CFU reduction (iclaprim 60 mg/kg compared with control, p < 0.0001), and 3.42 log₁₀ CFU reduction, respectively, from the controls (p < 0.0001). Iclaprim 80 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg resulted in 2.59 and 1.69 log₁₀ CFU reductions, respectively, from vancomycin-treated animals (80 mg/kg iclaprim vs. vancomycin, p = 0.0005; 60 mg/kg iclaprim vs. vancomycin, p = 0.07). Animals receiving iclaprim, vancomycin, and controls demonstrated 100%, 91.7%, and 48.3% survival, respectively. In this neutropenic rat S. aureus lung infection model, rats receiving iclaprim demonstrated a greater CFU reduction than the controls or those receiving vancomycin.