INHIBITION OF MALARIA-INFECTED ERYTHROCYTES BY DEOXYSPERGUALIN - EFFECT ON IN-VITRO GROWTH OF MALARIAL CULTURES

The effect of deoxyspergualin (DSG) on the K1 strain of human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum in vitro was studied to test a possibl e new antimalarial chemotherapy. Hypoxanthine labeled with tritium (H- 3) was used to assess macromolecular synthesis. The inhibitory effects of DSG on the parasite peaked after 72 h of incubation. Parasitemia w ithout DSG treatment was 9%, whereas at a DSG concentration of more th an 156 mu g/ml it was less than 1%. The amount of [3H]hypoxanthine tak en up decreased with increasing DSG concentration. DNA synthesis of ma larial activity decreased with increasing DSG concentration. These fin dings provide more evidence for the effects of DSG on this malarial pa rasite. As in previous in vivo studies done with DSG, the in vitro fin dings showed that DSG may be a new antimalarial drug.