IN-VIVO IN-VITRO MODEL TO ASSESS CHLOROQUINE ACTIVITY IN MONKEYS

The bioassay technique and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPL C) method were used to establish chloroquine (CQ) concentration equiva lents in serum samples collected from Aotus and Saimiri monkeys after administration of CQ. The results indicate some differences in CQ meta bolism between the two simian species. They also indicate a strong pos itive relationship (r(s) = 0.96) between data obtained by the bioassay and HPLC technique. The findings suggest that the use of the bioassay in these small primates, using only a fraction of the serum required for HPLC analysis, should provide a useful mean for obtaining prelimin ary information about the degree and duration of serum antimalarial ac tivity of promising experimental drugs. Apart from reducing the number of monkeys required for drug evaluation, this in vivo-in vitro model should also decrease the overall cost and duration of developing new a ntimalarial agents.