IN-VIVO STUDY OF ARTEMISININ AND ITS DERIVATIVES AGAINST PRIMARY AMEBIC MENINGOENCEPHALITIS CAUSED BY NAEGLERIA-FOWLERI

Artemisinin and its derivatives, beta-arteether and sodium artesunic a cid, have been evaluated for activity against experimental primary ame bic meningoencephalitis and the efficacy of these compounds has been c ompared with that of the standard drug amphotericin B. In vivo experim ents in Swiss mice have shown that amphotericin B at a dose of 2.5 mg/ kg for 5 days produced 100% protection in the mice infected intranasal ly with Naegleria fowleri. Artemisinin, beta-arteether, and sodium art esunic acid, even when tested at high doses (60-180 mg/kg x 5 days), w ere not curative and showed only slight protection as indicated by ext ension of mean survival time.