Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2009-3-2
pubmed:abstractText
Primaquine was firstly synthesized in 1946 in the USA, and is the most representative member of the anti-malarial 8-aminoquinolines. Six decades have passed and primaquine is still the only transmission-blocking anti-malarial clinically available, displaying a marked activity against gametocytes of all species of human malaria, including multi-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains. Primaquine is also effective against all exoerythrocytic forms of the parasite and is used in conjunction with other anti-malarials for the treatment of vivax and ovale malaria. However, primaquine is often associated with serious adverse effects, in consequence of its toxic metabolites. 5-Hydroxyprimaquine or 6-methoxy-8-aminoquinoline has been considered to be directly responsible for complications such as hemolytic anemia. Primaquine toxicity is aggravated in people deficient of 6-glucose phosphate dehydrogenase or glutathione synthetase. Adverse effects are further amplified by the fact that primaquine must be repeatedly administered at high doses, due to its limited oral bioavailability. Over the last two decades, Medicinal Chemists have battled against primaquine's disadvantages, while keeping or even improving its unequalled performance as an anti-malarial. The present text revisits primaquine and its properties on the occasion of its 60th anniversary and aims to give a general overview of what has been the path towards the development of effective and safe primaquine-based anti-malarials. Presently, aablaquine and tafenoquine the two most promising primaquine analogues are already in the final stages of clinical trials against Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum. Both compounds are a new hope against malaria and other primaquine-sensitive illnesses, such as Pneumocystis Pneumonia or the Chagas disease.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
1768-3254
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
44
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
937-53
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2009
pubmed:articleTitle
Primaquine revisited six decades after its discovery.
pubmed:affiliation
Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't