Trypanosoma cruzi : a pharmacological comparison of some Bolivian isoenzymic strains

Abstract

Summary . The drug susceptibility of 3 isoenzymic strains of Trypanosoma cruzi was studied. Two drugs (SQ 18, 506 and Ro 7-1051) and 6 stocks were used. The drug test was carried out on epimastigote cultures. Significant susceptibility d¡fferences were found for Ro 7-1051 between the 3 strains. For SQ 18, 506, there were differences between strains 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, but no differences between 1 and 3. Strain 2 seemed more sensitive to SQ 18,506 than to Ro 7-1051. For strain 1, the opposite was observed. There was no difference of susceptibility for the two drugs in the case of strain 3. A great intrastrain variability was observed and the interstrain differences were not clearly proportional to the genetic distances Nevertheless, drug susceptibility was correlated in some degree to the biochemical classification.