Single-dose pentamidine substantially reduces viability of trypanosomes in human East African trypanosomiasis

Perry J J van Genderen; Jan L Nouwen; Mariana De Mendonça Melo; Bart J A Rijnders; Jaap J van Hellemond

doi:10.1093/jtm/taab080

Single-dose pentamidine substantially reduces viability of trypanosomes in human East African trypanosomiasis

J Travel Med. 2021 Aug 27;28(6):taab080. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taab080.

Authors

Perry J J van Genderen^{1

2

3}, Jan L Nouwen^{1

2

3}, Mariana De Mendonça Melo^{1

2

3}, Bart J A Rijnders^{1

2

3}, Jaap J van Hellemond^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
² Department Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
³ Institute for Tropical Diseases, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Examination of viability of trypomastigotes before and after single-dose pentamidine treatment demonstrated that single-dose pentamidine substantially affected motility of trypomastigotes, a proxy of drug efficacy. This suggests that single-dose pentamidine may be of added value to bridge time until suramin will be available for treatment of human East Africa trypanosomiasis.

Keywords: Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense; African sleeping sickness; haemolymphatic phase; motility; single-dose; treatment; trypomastigote.

MeSH terms

Animals
Humans
Pentamidine
Trypanocidal Agents* / therapeutic use
Trypanosoma*
Trypanosomiasis, African* / drug therapy

Substances

Trypanocidal Agents
Pentamidine