Allopurinol is effective to modify the evolution of Trypanosoma cruzi infection

GOBBI P, LO PRESTI MS, FERNÁNDEZ AR, ENDERS JE, FRETES R, GEA S ET AL.

PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH

Año: 2007 p. 1459 - 1462

0932-0113

There is a real need for new and less toxic drugs for the treatment of Chagasdisease, as nifurtimox and benznidazole are effective but toxic and provokeunpleasant side effects, especially in adult patients. Allopurinol, commonly usedto treat the hiperuricemia, is also used by the Trypanosoma cruzi's hypoxantineguanine fosforyltransferase as an alternative substrate incorporating it into theparasite's ribonucleic acid, provoking the death of the parasite. However, theresults of using allopurinol as chemotherapy for Chagas disease are not clear.For that, we investigated the evolution of the T. cruzi infection in mice treatedwith allopurinol (5, 10 or 15 mg/kg for 90 days) obtaining a reduction in theparasitaemia (p<0.05), no electrocardiographic alterations (p<0.05) and aconserved myocardial and cardiac beta-receptors' affinity values with the highestdose of the drug, compared to those of the uninfected mice. Cruzipainimmunoglobulin G levels remained high in all the groups as well as the survival(70%, 90 days post-infection). Allopurinol prevented the acute phase evolvinginto the chronic cardiac disease.