Suggested dosage rates of melarsoprol in the treatment of mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense

One group of BALB/c mice infected with a highly virulent strain of Trypanos oma brucei gambiense were treated intraperitoneally with three series of th ree injections (each injection of 10 mg/kg) of Mel-B separated by seven day s of rest, while a second group was treated once by a single injection All the Mel-B treated mice in both experiments were negative for parasites when examined using either the wet blood film or buffy coat methods, but were i ntermittently PCR positive during the sampling period. We encourage the use of a repeat negative PCR test over a one month period in combination with corroborative clinical and parasitological investigation to be suggestive o f cure in experimental animals previously infected with trypanosomosis. In view of the exorbitant costs of Mel-B and its extreme toxicity, we recommen d that Mel-B be given as one course of two injections (each equivalent to 1 0 mg/kg) separated by 2 d of rest in experimentally infected rodent models.