Miconazole influence on both cellular immune response and hepatic drug metabolism in mice.

Miconazole was found to exert a biphasic influence on both cellular immune response and hepatic drug metabolism in adult Swiss mice. Indeed, at the dose of 2.5 or 12.5 mg/kg/twice daily via intraperitoneal route, miconazole depressed delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to sheep red blood cells and hepatic drug metabolism as determined from barbiturate sleeping time, following one-day treatment. By contrast, at the same dose level, miconazole enhanced DTH and hepatic drug metabolism after a five-day administration schedule. Primary humoral response and colloidal carbon clearance were not affected. Although the underlying mechanism remains to be fully elucidated, these findings clearly suggest a close relation between modulation of the cellular immune response and activity of liver drug metabolizing enzymes.