Probing the possible molecular origin of the highly selective toxicity of antimalarial peroxide qinghaosu (artemisinin).
The radicals derived from qinghaosu (artemisinin) showed strong tendency for intramolecular reactions and thus are unlikely to cause so much damage to cells as simple alkyl radicals, giving a clue to the extraordinarily low toxicity of this radical precursor at therapeutic doses.
Wu
Yikang
Y
State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic & Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 354 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China. yikangwu@mail.sioc.ac.cn
Liu
He-Hua
HH
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010545:Peroxides / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D010545:Peroxides; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C031327:artemisinin