[Adrenaline in the prevention and treatment of adverse effects of arsobal therapy. Apropos of 776 cases of human African trypanosomiasis caused by T. gambiense in the Health Service of Fontem (U.R. Cameroon)].

The authors consider evident similarities of toxic effects in the treatment of human african trypanosomiasis with Arsobal, and those in the treatment of syphilis with arsenobenzole derivatives. Considering that a majority of authors recommended adrenaline as a preventive and curative measure in the course of arsenobenzole encephalopathy, the authors have experimented this same medication in the prevention and treatment of toxic side effects caused by Arsobal therapy of H.A.T. In the course of treating 776 sleeping sickness patients with Arsobal in conjunction with adrenaline, an incidence of 1,54 p. 100 (13 patients) of hemorrhagic encephalopathy was registered. On the other hand, the association of adrenaline (or others therapeutic drugs with alpha- and bêta-activity) with others therapeutic drugs currently used, resulted in a 92 p. 100 recovery of the patients with hemorrhagic th encephalopathy. The authors have accordingly attempted to postulate some possible hypothesis on the mechanism of action of the above therapeutic association.