SENSITIVITY OF TRICHOMONAS VAGINALIS TO CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS

Summary The trichomonacidal activities in vitro of six drugs were compared using strains of Trichomonas vaginalis freshly isolated from patients. Metronidazole, nitrimidazine and nifuratel were all active in concentrations of the order of 1 μg./ml. Amphotericin B, a mixture of polyethylene glycols, and natamycin was much less active. Three out of ten strains of Trichomonas vaginalis were resistant to 1 mg./ml. of natamycin. Since nitrimidazine and nifuratel are less therapeutically effective than metronidazole, it is possible that some substance in vaginal tissues or secretion tends to protect the organisms against these drugs.