Co-administration of Na-EDTA and Diminazene Aceturate (DA) to Mice Infected with DA-resistant Trypanosoma brucei

• Published in: Journal of comparative pathology Vol. 136; no. 2; pp. 206 - 211
• Main Authors: Ihedioha, J.I., Ochiogu, I.S., Ihedioha, T.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2007
• Subjects: Anemia - drug therapy; Anemia - etiology; Animals; Chelating Agents - therapeutic use; Diminazene - therapeutic use; diminazene aceturate; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Resistance - drug effects; Drug Synergism; Drug Therapy, Combination; Edetic Acid - therapeutic use; Hematocrit; Longevity - drug effects; Male; Mice; mouse; Na-EDTA; Parasitemia - drug therapy; Parasitemia - mortality; Parasitic Diseases, Animal - drug therapy; Parasitic Diseases, Animal - mortality; Parasitic Diseases, Animal - pathology; parasitic infection; Survival Rate; Trypanocidal Agents - therapeutic use; Trypanosoma brucei; Trypanosoma brucei brucei - drug effects; Trypanosomiasis, African - drug therapy; Trypanosomiasis, African - mortality; Trypanosomiasis, African - pathology; Na-EDTA; mouse; parasitic infection; Trypanosoma brucei; diminazene aceturate
• ISSN: 0021-9975; 1532-3129
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2007.01.003

This study investigated the effects of co-administration of Na-EDTA and diminazene aceturate (DA) on the level of parasitaemia (LOP), parasite clearance, packed cell volume (PCV) and post-infection survival time (PIST) in mice infected with DA-resistant Trypanosoma brucei. Five groups of 10 mice were treated as follows: infected and treated with Na-EDTA+DA; infected and treated with DA alone; infected and treated with Na-EDTA alone; infected–untreated; and uninfected–untreated. The co-administration of Na-EDTA and DA led to reduced LOP and improvements in PCV ( P<0.05), as compared with treatment with DA alone. Mice treated with Na-EDTA+DA had a marginally ( P>0.05) higher PIST than did mice treated with DA alone. Comparison of the group given Na-EDTA alone with the infected-untreated group showed that the former group had a significantly lower ( P<0.01) LOP, improved PCV ( P<0.05) and higher ( P<0.01) PIST. It was concluded that the co-administration of Na-EDTA and DA led to a slight potentiation of DA in the treatment of mice infected with DA-resistant T. brucei, and that the administration of Na-EDTA alone significantly enhanced the resistance of the infected mice.