Inhibitory action of the anti-malarial compound atovaquone (566C80) against Plasmodium berghei ANKA in the mosquito, Anopheles stephensi

The activity of atovaquone against Plasmodium berghei ANKA during sporogonic development has been examined. Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes were fed on gametocyte infected mice which had been treated 8 h previously with atovaquone or diluent alone. Mosquito midguts were examined for oocysts, and sali...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology 1994-05, Vol.108 (4), p.383-388
Main Authors: Fowler, R. E., Billingsley, P. F., Pudney, M., Sinden, R. E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Anopheles - parasitology
Anopheles stephensi
Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents
Antimalarials - pharmacology
Antiparasitic agents
Atovaquone
Biological and medical sciences
chemotherapy
Culicidae
Diptera
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
hydroxynaphthoquinone
Insect Vectors - parasitology
Malaria - blood
Malaria - prevention & control
Malaria - transmission
Medical sciences
Mice
Naphthoquinones - pharmacology
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Plasmodium berghei
Plasmodium berghei - drug effects
Plasmodium berghei - physiology
Protozoan Proteins - analysis
sporonticide
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Summary:The activity of atovaquone against Plasmodium berghei ANKA during sporogonic development has been examined. Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes were fed on gametocyte infected mice which had been treated 8 h previously with atovaquone or diluent alone. Mosquito midguts were examined for oocysts, and salivary gland infections were estimated using an ELISA for the circumsporozoite protein (CSP). The number of oocysts per midgut fell by at least 97% when mosquitoes were fed on mice dosed with 0·1–10 mg atovaquone/kg body weight. This was paralleled by a decrease in the prevalence of oocyst-infected mosquitoes from 70–90% in controls to 40% or 10% respectively. No oocysts were observed at a dose of 100 mg/kg. CSP ELISA results indicated that mosquitoes fed on atovaquone failed to produce sporozoites. Mosquitoes which fed on gametocytaemic, atovaquone-treated mice (0·1–100 mg/kg) did not transmit malaria to naive mice. These results demonstrate that atovaquone has a highly potent inhibitory activity against the mosquito stages of P. berghei.
ISSN:0031-1820
1469-8161
DOI:10.1017/S0031182000075922