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A rapid method for testing in vivo the susceptibility of different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi to active chemotherapeutic agents

Abstracts

A method is described which permits to determine in vivo an in a short period of time (4-6 hours) the sensitivity of T. cruzo strains to known active chemotherapeutic agents. By using resistant- and sensitive T. cruzi stains a fairly good correlation was observed between the results obtained with this rapid method (which detects activity against the circulating blood forms) and those obtained with long-term schedules which involve drug adminstration for at least 20 consecutive days and a prolonged period of assessment. This method may be used to characterize susceptibility to active drugs used clinically, provide infomation on the specific action against circulating trypomastigotes and screen active compounds. Differences in the natural susceptibility of Trypanosoma cruzi strains to active drugs have been already reported using different criteria, mostly demanding long-term study of the animal (Hauschka, 1949; Bock, Gonnert & Haberkorn, 1969; Brener, Costa & Chiari, 1976; Andrade & Figueira, 1977; Schlemper, 1982). In this paper we report a method which detects in 4-6 hours the effect of drugs on bloodstream forms in mice with established T. cruzi infections. The results obtained with this method show a fairly good correlation with those obtained by prolonged treatment schedules used to assess the action of drugs in experimental Chagas' disease and may be used to study the sensitivity of T. cruzi strains to active drugs.


No presente trabalho descreve-se um metodo que permite determinar in vivo e em curto espaço de tempo (4-6 horas) a sensibilidade de cepas de T. cruzi a agentes terapeuticos ativos na doença de Chagas. Usando-se cepas sensíveis e resistentes aos medicamentos foi possível observar uma boa correlação entre os resultados obtidos com o método rápido (que detecta atividade contra as formas circulantes do parasita) e aqueles obtidos com esquema de acao prolongada que envolve a administração da droga por 20 dias e posterior avaliação. Esse metodo pode ser usado para caracterizar a sensibilidade de cepas a drogas ativas usadas clinicamente, fornecer informações específicas sobre a ação medicamentosa em tripomastigotas sanguíneos e, eventualmente, para triagem de novos compostos.


RESUMOABSTRACT

A rapid method for testing in vivo the susceptibility of different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi to active chemotherapeutic agents

Leny S. Filardi1

Zigman Brener2

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Zoologia, Brasil

FIOCRUZ, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Belo Horizonte, Brasil

No presente trabalho descreve-se um metodo que permite determinar in vivo e em curto espaço de tempo (4-6 horas) a sensibilidade de cepas de T. cruzi a agentes terapeuticos ativos na doença de Chagas. Usando-se cepas sensíveis e resistentes aos medicamentos foi possível observar uma boa correlação entre os resultados obtidos com o método rápido (que detecta atividade contra as formas circulantes do parasita) e aqueles obtidos com esquema de acao prolongada que envolve a administração da droga por 20 dias e posterior avaliação. Esse metodo pode ser usado para caracterizar a sensibilidade de cepas a drogas ativas usadas clinicamente, fornecer informações específicas sobre a ação medicamentosa em tripomastigotas sanguíneos e, eventualmente, para triagem de novos compostos.

A method is described which permits to determine in vivo an in a short period of time (4-6 hours) the sensitivity of T. cruzo strains to known active chemotherapeutic agents. By using resistant- and sensitive T. cruzi stains a fairly good correlation was observed between the results obtained with this rapid method (which detects activity against the circulating blood forms) and those obtained with long-term schedules which involve drug adminstration for at least 20 consecutive days and a prolonged period of assessment. This method may be used to characterize susceptibility to active drugs used clinically, provide infomation on the specific action against circulating trypomastigotes and screen active compounds. Differences in the natural susceptibility of Trypanosoma cruzi strains to active drugs have been already reported using different criteria, mostly demanding long-term study of the animal (Hauschka, 1949; Bock, Gonnert & Haberkorn, 1969; Brener, Costa & Chiari, 1976; Andrade & Figueira, 1977; Schlemper, 1982). In this paper we report a method which detects in 4-6 hours the effect of drugs on bloodstream forms in mice with established T. cruzi infections. The results obtained with this method show a fairly good correlation with those obtained by prolonged treatment schedules used to assess the action of drugs in experimental Chagas' disease and may be used to study the sensitivity of T. cruzi strains to active drugs.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    02 July 2009
  • Date of issue
    June 1984
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