Serum iron was monitored in
Trypanosoma brucei
-infected rats treated with Amodiaquine and mefloquine antimalarials as the infection progressed. The chemotherapeutic properties of the drugs against African sleeping sickness were also assessed. Results show gradual reduction in the levels of serum iron in the infected but treated rats as the infection progressed. Results also show that reduction in serum iron level is more pronounced in amodiaquine treated but uninfected rats than the mefloquine treated rats. Serum level in infected but not treated rats increased steadily from the day of infection. For prophylactic treatments of infected rat, amodiaquine extended the lifespan of the rats for 14 days while mefloquine extended it for 7 days. For early stage treatment, amodiaquine and mefloquine extended life span for 7 and 4 days respectively while late stage treatment the extensions were 2 and 1 day respectively. Results suggest that these antimalarials especially amodiaquine could be useful in the clinical management of African sleeping sickness and that this may be through reduction of blood iron level, a situation that can inhibit ribonucleotide reductase of the proliferating parasites.
