8-Aminoquinolines active against blood stage Plasmodium falciparum in vitro inhibit hematin polymerization

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1999 Mar;43(3):598-602. doi: 10.1128/AAC.43.3.598.

Abstract

From the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) inventory, thirteen 8-aminoquinoline analogs of primaquine were selected for screening against a panel of seven Plasmodium falciparum clones and isolates. Six of the 13 8-aminoquinolines had average 50% inhibitory concentrations between 50 and 100 nM against these P. falciparum clones and were thus an order of magnitude more potent than primaquine. However, excluding chloroquine-resistant clones and isolates, these 8-aminoquinolines were all an order of magnitude less potent than chloroquine. None of the 8-aminoquinolines was cross resistant with either chloroquine or mefloquine. In contrast to the inactive primaquine prototype, 8 of the 13 8-aminoquinolines inhibited hematin polymerization more efficiently than did chloroquine. Although alkoxy or aryloxy substituents at position 5 uniquely endowed these 13 8-aminoquinolines with impressive schizontocidal activity, the structural specificity of inhibition of both parasite growth and hematin polymerization was low.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / chemistry
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology*
  • Chloroquine / pharmacology
  • Drug Resistance
  • Hemin / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Mefloquine / pharmacology
  • Models, Molecular
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / isolation & purification
  • Quinolines / chemistry
  • Quinolines / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Quinolines
  • Hemin
  • Chloroquine
  • Mefloquine