Trypanocidal effects of promethazine.
Promethazine is currently used for its antipsychotic and ansiolytic effects. It is a phenothiazine with anticalmodulin action, not toxic for human beings at therapeutic doses. The present results show that promethazine has trypanocidal effect on both epimastigote and trypomastigote stages of T. cruzi; two hundred microM inhibited epimastigote growth in culture medium and 2 microM immobilized and killed bloodstream trypomastigotes. When promethazine (55 mg/Kg/day) was used as treatment of T. cruzi infected mice, it proved effective in reducing parasitemia and it increased the survival of treated animals. Ultrastructural studies suggest that the lethal effect of this phenothiazine is related to a detergent effect that disrupts T. cruzi cell membrane.
Fernández
A R
AR
Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
Fretes
R
R
Rubiales
S
S
Lacuara
J L
JL
Paglini-Oliva
P
P
D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011398:Promethazine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D011398:Promethazine