title: Antimalarial agents, 2. Artesunate, an inhibitor of cytochrome oxidase activity in Plasmodium berghei.
abstract: The activity of the cytochrome oxidase, which is located in the plasma and the nuclear and the food-vacuole-limiting membranes as well as in the mitochondria of the trophozoites of Plasmodium berghei, was inhibited completely by sodium artesunate, an antimalarial drug, in vitro at 1 mM and in vivo at 100 mg/kg iv. This enzyme appears to be a target for the antimalarial mechanism of action of artesunate and qinghaosu.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037621:Artemisinins; D000077332:Artesunate; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000201:enzymology*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D000077332:Artesunate; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV