title: The effect of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids on Trypanosoma cruzi infections in mice.
abstract: Five bisbenzylisoquinoline (BBI) alkaloids, curine, cycleanine, isotet:andrine, limacine and pheanthine were tested for trypanocidal activity in C 3H He mice infected with Y or CL strain of Trypanosoma cruzi. The activity was compared with the baseline drug, benznidazole. Oral treatment was more effective with curine at 10 mg/kg or with cycleanine at 2 mg/kg daily for 10 days in mice infected with Y or CL strain. In these groups, the parasitemias were negative after 5-7 weeks after inoculation and mortality time 50 (MT(50)) was significantly higher than untreated mice. Benznidazole was effective in mice infected with CL strain but not in mice infected with Y strain. The other BBI showed a relative efficacy against both strains. The effect of BBI alkaloids could be due to a blocking of the Ca2+ channel for the regulation of T. cruzi infectivity to invade host cells or their selective immunosuppressive properties.
authors.affiliation: ORSTOM (Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération) Casilla de Correo 97, Asunción, Paraguay.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fournet
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: de Arias
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schinini
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanabria
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guinaudeau
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruneton