Inhibition of the respiration of multi-drug resistant clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by thioridazine: potential use for initial therapy of freshly diagnosed tuberculosis

Chlorpromazine and thioridazine are phenothiazines employed in the treatment of psychosis. These agents inhibited the respiration of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to streptomycin, rifampin, isoniazid, ethambutol and/or pyrazinamid, all first line drugs. Since any adverse reaction to thioridazine is generally less severe than to chlorpromazine, the possibility is attractive that thioridazine may have a potential in the initial management of patients with newly diagnosed tuberculosis with an as yet undetermined antibiotic susceptibility profile.