This study aimed to investigate whether initial treatment of experimental pulmonary aspergillosis with high loading doses can be used as an alternative to standard therapeutic regimens. Steroid-immunosuppressed rats, infected intratracheally with Aspergillus fumigatus, received either amphotericin B deoxycholate (d-AmB) 1 mg/kg/day, liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) 5 mg/kg/day, or underwent a 3-day course of L-AmB 10 mg/kg, or 10 mg/kg for the first 3 or 4 days of treatment, followed by 3 mg/kg until the end of treatment. Therapy started 24 h after fungal challenge and lasted for 7 days. Compared to controls, survival was improved significantly in animals receiving any L-AmB regimen (p