Zaldaride maleate, an intestinal calmodulin inhibitor, in the therapy of travelers' diarrhea.

BACKGROUND

The therapeutic value of zaldaride maleate (Zm), an intestinal calmodulin inhibitor, was examined in patients with travelers' diarrhea, known to be caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and other bacterial agents.

METHODS

One hundred seventy-six American students acquiring diarrhea in Mexico during the summer of 1991 were given Zm in doses of 5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg, or a matching placebo, four times a day for 48 hours.

RESULTS

The duration of diarrhea was reduced by 53% in the group given the 20-mg Zm dose (overall P < 0.01). Curative antibiotics were required post-treatment only in the placebo and 5-mg Zm groups (P < 0.01). The number of unformed stools passed during 0-48 hours of therapy with the highest Zm dose was reduced compared with placebo by 36% for all subjects (P < 0.05), by 39% for ETEC diarrhea (NS), by 45% for those with any bacterial agents (NS), and by 38% for those without an identifiable bacterial agent (NS).

CONCLUSIONS

The fact that a calmodulin inhibitor decreases the severity and duration of travelers' diarrhea has therapeutic implications and suggests that calmodulin and intracellular calcium may serve as mediators of diarrhea in bacterial enteric infection.