The activity of aminoglycoside antibiotics against Trypanosoma brucei.

The trypanocidal activity of four aminoglycosides was determined against Trypanosoma brucei in vitro. The drug activity in descending order, was as follows; paromomycin kanamycin>gentamycin > neomycin. Paromomycin bad the highest activity and the concentration that inhibited 50% of trypanosome growth (IC50) was 11.4microM. The effect of paromomycin on the causative agents of the East African form of sleeping sickness - T.b. rhodesiense KETRI 265, 2285, 2545, 2562 and EATRO 110,112, 1152 was subsequently assessed. Variations sensitivities between the trypanosome populations were observed and IC50 values ranging from 13.01 to 43.06 microM recorded. However, when paromomycin was administered intraperitoneally (i.p) at 500 mg/kg, it was not effective in curing mice infected with T. b. rhodesienseKETRI 2545 the most drug-sensitive isolate in vitro. Lack of in vivo activity may be because the trypanosome is an extracellular parasite. The pharmacokinetics of paromomycin in the mouse model need to be determined.