title: Activity of oral atovaquone alone and in combination with antimony in experimental visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: BALB/c mice with established visceral infection caused by the intracellular protozoan Leishmania donovani were treated with oral atovaquone for 7 days. Treatment with 100 mg/kg of body weight per day was optimal and halted parasite replication in the liver. In mice treated with atovaquone, the effect of a suboptimal dose of pentavalent antimony was converted from partially leishmanistatic to leishmanicidal. These results demonstrate the in vivo antileishmanial effect of atovaquone and suggest a potential role for this oral agent in visceral leishmaniasis as an adjunct to conventional antimony treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hariprashad
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000965:Antimony / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053626:Atovaquone; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D007893:Leishmania donovani; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D000965:Antimony; D053626:Atovaquone