Chloroquine resistance is not associated with drug metabolism in Plasmodium falciparum.
Chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant clones of Plasmodium falciparum were incubated in vitro with [3H]chloroquine for 16 hr, and the resulting culture supernatants and cell pellets were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography for evidence of chloroquine metabolism. After separation by normal- or reverse-phase chromatography, there was no evidence of drug metabolism by the chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum. However, a single, unidentified, radiolabeled metabolite, which did not coelute with desethylchloroquine, was produced by 1 of the chloroquine-sensitive clones. Thus, chloroquine resistance does not appear to be due to drug metabolism by the resistant parasites.
Picower Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York 11030, USA.
B J
BJ
Berger
J
J
Martiney
A F
AF
Slater
A H
AH
Fairlamb
A
A
Cerami
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000378:metabolism*
D000962:Antimalarials; D002738:Chloroquine