In vivo effect of eflornithine (DFMO) and some related compounds on Leishmania infantum preliminary communication.

Abstract

An in vivo method was used to test the effect of eflornithine (DFMO) and five related compounds on Leishmania infantum amastigotes. Treatment with 100 mg/kg sc for 5 days of Leishmania infected Balb/c mice yielded a parasite inhibition ranging from 56% (compound 2, "reverse arginine") to 85% (eflornithine), these values being lower than that obtained with the reference compound Glucantime (93%). In long-term treatment (40 days) the two selected compounds, eflornithine and 3 ("reverse homoarginine"), failed to cure the animals. However, in dose response experiments these drugs showed to be effective at very low doses when compared with Glucantime, thus suggesting that they might be of potential value in the chemotherapy of leishmaniases.