[Cyclines and malaria].
The emergence and rapid spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to various antimalarials compounds is gradually reducing the clinician's options for treating malaria and for adapting prophylaxis to each traveler and destination. In this context doxycycline is an increasingly useful alternative except in individuals with contraindications, mainly children under the age of eight and pregnant women. Already used successfully in association with quinine for treatment of malaria in areas with multiresistance, doxycline has also proven to be effective and well tolerated for prophylaxis of malaria. No resistance to doxycycline has been observed to date. Most reported prophylactic failures have been related to poor compliance during the month following return from the endemic zone. The mechanisms of action of doxycycline on the parasite are still unclear. Identification of the molecular targets of doxycycline would open the way for the design of more active structural analogues with longer half-life.
Briolant
S
S
Unité de Recherche en Biologie et Epidémiologie Parasitaires, Institut de Médecine Tropicale du Service de Santé des Armées, Bd Charles Livon, BP 46, Le Pharo, 13998 Marseille Armies, France.
Almeras
L
L
Fusai
T
T
Rogier
C
C
Pradines
B
B
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018890:Chemoprevention; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum; D011803:Quinine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000962:Antimalarials; D011803:Quinine; D004318:Doxycycline