title: Trypanosoma cruzi: trypanocidal effect of 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) on several strains of epimastigote and trypomastigote forms.
abstract: BHA (2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole) produced inhibition of both culture growth and oxygen consumption, NAD(P) reduction and cytochrome b oxidation, on intact epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi. BHA inhibited respiration and reduced NAD(P) in intact T. cruzi trypomastigotes. Oxidative phosphorylation of in situ mitochondria of epimastigotes was inhibited by BHA and this effect was liberated by the addition of ascorbate+TMPD. The incorporation of rhodamine-123 to mitochondria of living epimastigotes was diminished by BHA. These results suggest that the basis of the trypanocidal effects of BHA could be due to the blockage of the mitochondrial electron transport chain on the segment previous to cytochrome c. We postulate that the mechanism of action of BHA could be by mimicking coenzyme-Q (ubiquinone).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aldunate
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ojeda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Repetto
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Letelier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002083:Butylated Hydroxyanisole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D002083:Butylated Hydroxyanisole; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D010100:Oxygen