Roflumilast, a Type 4 Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor, Shows Promising Adjunctive, Host-Directed Therapeutic Activity in a Mouse Model of Tuberculosis

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2015 Dec;59(12):7888-90. doi: 10.1128/AAC.02145-15. Epub 2015 Oct 5.

Abstract

With phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDE-Is) showing significant promise in shortening tuberculosis treatment, we assessed the effect of roflumilast, an FDA-approved type 4 PDE-I, in both acute and chronic murine models of tuberculosis. Alone, roflumilast had no effect on lung bacillary burden and mortality. However, when roflumilast was used in combination with isoniazid, a reduction in lung bacillary burden was observed. These data suggest that roflumilast may be a good candidate for tuberculosis host-directed therapy (HDT).

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aminopyridines / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Antitubercular Agents / pharmacology*
  • Benzamides / pharmacology*
  • Cyclopropanes / pharmacology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interleukin-1beta / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-1beta / immunology
  • Isoniazid / pharmacology
  • Lung / drug effects*
  • Lung / immunology
  • Lung / microbiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / growth & development
  • Phosphodiesterase 4 Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Survival Analysis
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / drug therapy*
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / immunology
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / microbiology
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / mortality
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / biosynthesis
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / immunology

Substances

  • Aminopyridines
  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Benzamides
  • Cyclopropanes
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Phosphodiesterase 4 Inhibitors
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Roflumilast
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Isoniazid