title: Great efficacy of sulfachloropyrazine-sodium against acute murine toxoplasmosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify more effective and less toxic drugs to treat animal toxoplasmosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Efficacy of seven kinds of sulfonamides against Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in an acute murine model was evaluated. The mice used throughout the study were randomly assigned to many groups (10 mice each), which either remained uninfected or were infected intraperitoneally with tachyzoites of T. gondii (strains RH and CN). All groups were then treated with different sulfonamides and the optimal treatment protocol was determined candidates. Sulfadiazine-sodium (SD) was used for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The optimal therapy involved gavaging mice twice per day with 250 mg/kg bw of sulfachloropyrazine-sodium (SPZ) for five days. Using this protocol, the average survival time and the time-point of 50% fatalities were prolonged significantly compared with SD treatment. Treatment with SPZ protected 40% of mice from death, and the heart and kidney tissue of these animals was parasite-free, as determined by nested-PCR. SPZ showed excellent therapeutic effects in the treatment of T. gondii in an acute murine model and is therefore a promising drug candidate for the treatment and prevention of T. gondii in animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can be concluded that the effective drug sulfachloropyrazine may be the new therapeutic options against animal toxoplasmosis.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Key Laboratory for Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 200241.
authors.forename: Yan-Bo
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Shun-Hai
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Hong-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Lian-Lian
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Qi-Ping
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Wei-Jiao
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D007668:Kidney / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013424:Sulfanilamides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D013424:Sulfanilamides; C050643:sulfachlorpyrazine; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides
keywords: Efficacy; Murine; Sulfachloropyrazine-sodium; Sulfonamides; Therapeutic effect; Therapy; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis