ANTIPROTOZOALS

Copyright, Purdue Research Foundation, 1996

| Chemotherapy Table of Contents | | Lynn Parasitology Notes | | Address |


PROTOZOAN DISEASES

Occurrence

Among most common diseases of man

Developing countries especially afflicted

Jet/military travel increase relevance to US

Spreading from tropics to Northern latitudes

Four major classes

Sarcodinia

Entameba histolytica (Amoebic disease)

20% of US may carry - esp eleemosynary inst.

Mastigophora

Trichomoniasis -- repro. tract

Giardiasis

Trypanosomiasis

Leishmahiasis

Ciliophora (Ciliates)

Balantidium coli

Sporozoa

Malaria -- Plasmodium spp.

toxoplasmosis

Isosporosis

coccidia -- self-limiting disease in man

diarrheas - bismuth salicylate

Therapy -- general concepts

NO immunization

Chemotherapy

Malaria -- the disease

Occurrence

Worldwide

highest morbidity & mortality of any disease

Resurgence

Etiology

Do NOT persist in liver

Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium malariae

Persist in liver

some merozoites stay in liver and reproduce

Plasmodium vivax

Plasmodium ovale

Life Cycle of Plasmodium spp.

MOSQUITO

Bite by Anophlene female mosquito with SPOROZOITES in salivary gland

LIVER

Sporozoites to liver where they become primary tissue SCHIZONTS

Schizonts mature and rupture releasing

TISSUE MEROZOITES w/in 5-16 days

Merozoites reenter liver if P. ovale or P.vivax

Cause delayed attacks

ERYTHROCYTE

Asexual portion of cycle

ALL P. falciparum leave liver

RBCs rupture, release merozoites which reenter RBCs

Rupture releases debris which causes clinical signs

Several cycles possible before mosquito bites and takes on

gametocytes (sexual form)

MOSQUITO

Mosquito bites carrier patient

Gametocytes enter mosquito where 'sexual' form begins

Therapy
Three approaches

Clinical Cure -- Blood schizontocides

Attack asexual forms of parasite

Drugs

Available in US

Chloroquine [Aralen]

Mefloquine [Lariam]

Hydroxychloroquine [Plaquenil]

Pyrimethamine [Daraprim]

Pyrimethamine - sulfadoxine [Fansidar]

Quinine sulfate (p.o.)

Quinine HCl (parenteral)

Quinine gluconate (iv)

Sulfadiazine

Tetracycline

Doxycycline

Clindamycin

Radical Cure -- Tissue schizontocides

For P. ovale & P. vivax

Eliminate ALL asexual forms

Eliminate ALL exoerythrocytic forms

Relapse if insufficient treatment

Drugs

Primaquine

Prophylaxis
True CAUSAL prophylaxis

Eliminate all asexual and exoerythrocytic forms

Primaquine

Toxic, controversial

SUPPRESSIVE prophylaxis (Field" / "Clinical" prophylaxis)

Inhibit erythrocytic stage to prevent clinical attacks

Drugs -- 2 wks before to 8 wks after trip

Chloroquine [Aralen]

Structure / chemistry

Other 4-aminoquinolines

Mechanism of Action

Not fully explained

Possibilities

Intercalate with DNA?

Can't explain rapid schizonticidal action

Bind to ferriprotoporphyrin IX (F-IX)

free F-IX,breakdown product of hemoglobin digestion by parasite, is toxic to cells

causes lysis of RBC and intracellular parasites

Parasite can sequester F-IX to protect self

Chloroquine binds F-IX to prevent sequestration, but allow F-IX lyse cells

Inhibit parasite's proteases that digest hemoglobin

Chloroquine is weak base that accumulates in acid lysosomal compartments of parasite where digestion occurs

Indications

Prophylaxis

Drug of choice for ACUTE ATTACKS (erythrocyctic stage

(All four Plasmodium spp.)

Lowers fever w/in 24-48 h

No parasites in blood by 48-72 h

NOT GOOD for latent tissue schizonts (hypnozoites)

Will NOT remove exoerythrocytic organisms

Only antimalarial ok for pregnant women

Many P. falciparum resistant

Systemic amebic liver abscesses

Pharmacokinetics

Route

Primarily PO

Use parenterally (e.g., im) when --

Severe nausea is produced by po chloroquine

Potential for questionable absorption

Severe infection

Adverse effects

At Prophylactic dose -- 5 mg of base/kg

Usually MILD

At Therapeutic dose -- 25 mg of base/kg
GIT

upset, nausea, and diarrhea

SKIN

rash and pruritus

CNS

headache

reversible decreased accomodation

High doses, e.g., rapid IV administration

Dizziness, nausea

Decreased vision

Hypotension -->

Abnormal ECG pattern

Long term high dose (>250 mg/kg/day)

Retinopathy

Acute OVERDOSE

Circulatory failure

Convulsions

Respiratory and cardiac arrest

Death

Precautions

Highly concentrated in liver and kidney

use with caution when these are impaired

Patients with neurologic disorders usually suffer greater incidence & intensity of side effects

Quinine

Source / chemistry

From bark of Cinchona tree of S. America

Spanish 1633, described "fever tree"

Mefloquine only successful derivative

Mechanism of action

Mechanism may resemble chloroquine

Pharmacokinetics

Usually given orally, but can be given iv

Adverse effects

Much more toxic than chloroquine

at Rx doses

Cinchonism

Direct nerve toxicity

headache

nausea

Drug induced asthma if hypersensitive

Higher doses alter

cardiovascular system

skeletal muscle

gastrointestinal system and pancreas

Mefloquine (quinine derivative)

Therapeutic use

indicated only for chloroquine resistant P. falciparum

Adverse effects

Much less toxicity than quinine

500 mg/week for 1 year, no overt toxicity in adults

>1,000 mg can cause --

mild nausea and vomiting

dizziness

some disorientation and depression

Primaquine

Structure / Chemistry

8-aminoquinoline

Do not confuse with pyrimethamine

Indications

Tissue schizontocide

Radical cure of exoerythrocytic forms

Prophylaxis

Pharmacokinetics

Administered ONLY orally

Marked interindividual variation in elimination

half-life, 3-6 hours

Adverse effects

Major side effects are

methemoglobinemia

abdominal pain

hemolysis

Hemolysis

Associated with glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PDH) deficiency

Genetic links
Biochemistry

G6PDH deficiency --> Decr. NADPH formation -->

Decr. reduction of G-SS-G to 2 GSH

GSH is needed to keep H2O2 low

Methemoglobinemia

NADH methemoglobin reductase deficiency

Self-limiting. Older RBCs most susceptible

Primaquine as prototypical oxidative drug

TRICHOMONIASIS

Diseases

Primarily vaginal infections - T. vaginali

Persistent - extravaginal foci

Signs -- wet inflammed vagina

strawberry" cervix

Thin, yellow, frothy malodorous discharge

Males reprod. tract may be asymptomatic, Treat anyway!

Treatment

Metronidazole [Flagyl] First trichomonocide. (See below)

Povidone-iodine [Betadine]

Amicrine --

For local use, need adjuvants (e.g., wetting agents) to increase penetration

Wetting agents

Restore vaginal acidity

Metronidazole [FlagylR]

Structure / chemistry

Spectrum

Highly effective against many protozoans

T. vaginalis

Entamoeba Histolytica -- symptomatic amoebic dysentery

Giardia spp.

Effective against some bacteria that are obligate anaerobes

NOT good for other causes of vaginitis, e.g.., candidosis

Mechanism of action

Selectively toxic against anaerobes and microaerophilic organisms

Nitro group is REDUCED to reactive intermediates

Nitro radical anions, nitroso-, hydroxylamino- products undergo reactions with cellular components that lead to cytotoxicity. May include DNA strand breakage.

Acts as an electron "sink" that deprives organisms of reducing equivalents needed for energy production. This is an older view.

Selectivity derives from fact that anaerobes maintain reductive environment whereas host cells have oxidative environment.

Pharmacokinetics

Administered orally

Distributed widely throughout body tissues

Cleared primarily by liver via oxidative metabolism.

Adverse effects

Low -- few serious reactions clinically

Nausea, anorexia, diarrhea, epigastric pain, and cramping may occur

Disulfiram-like reaction when given ethanol is consumed

Carcinogenicity/mutagenicity

Mutagenic in Ames test

Carcinogenic in laboratory studies in mice and rats. Not in hamsters. Nonetheless, should be reserved for cases with positive diagnosis of infection with susceptible organisms.

Legal

This drug is a member of a family of drugs that have been specifically disallowed for use in food producing animals by FDA/CVM because they have been shown to cause cancer in some models.

What should one do with a stud bull with Trichomoniasis?

Lynn Notes

Notes on Antiprotozoals from Randy Lynn's Chapter in Georgi's Parasitology for Veterinarians. '95

Amprolium

Eimeria -- cattle

CORID

AMPROL PREMIX

Lynn'95

Decoquinate

Eimeria coccidia in chickens, cattle, goats

a quinolone derivative

Lynn'95

Lasalocid

Ionophore

for coccidia in cattle, sheep, poultry

BOVATEC Feed additive

Lynn'95

Metronidazole -- not approved for vet use

FLAGYL

Trichomonas vaginalis, Giardia lamblia -- dogs

Entamoeba histolytica -- amoebic dysentery

Dog 100 mg/kg well tolerated

higher doses cause tremors, weakness, ncoordination, ataxia.

causes pulmonary tumors in mice and

increased incidence of various neoplasms in rats, esp mammary

Lynn '95

Monensin

COBAN & RUMENSIN

coccidiosis

Na & K ionophore for poultry and cattle -- can be fatal to horses

inhibits mitrochondrial function

Lynn'95

Quinacrine

ATABRINE

Not FDA approved for vet use, but is used on Giardia, Taenia, and Diphyllobothrium infestations

Lynn'95

Sulfadimethoxine

ALBON

coccidia in small animals

Lynn '95

Sulfamethazine -- coccidia

Sulfaquinoxaline -- coccidia in poultry, cattle, sheep

Lynn'95


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Gordon L. Coppoc, DVM, PhD
Professor of Veterinary Pharmacology
Head, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1246
Tel: 317-494-8633Fax: 317-494-0781
Email: coppoc@vet.purdue.edu

Last modified 3:14 PM EST on 3/8/96 (in Doha, Qatar) GLC