The effect of memantine, an antagonist of the NMDA glutamate receptor, in in vitro and in vivo infections by Trypanosoma cruzi.

ABSTRACT: Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected tropical disease that affects 5-6 million people in endemic areas of the Americas. Presently, chemotherapy relies on two compounds that were proposed as trypanocidal drugs four decades ago: nifurtimox and benznidazole. Both drugs are able to eliminate parasitemia and to avoid seroconversion in infected people when used in the acute phase; however, their use in the chronic phase (the time when the majority of cases are diagnosed) is limited due to their serious side effects. Memantine is a glutamate receptor antagonist in the central nervous system of mammals that has been used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Our group previously reported memantine as a trypanocidal drug that is able to induce apoptosis-like death in T. c

SUBMITTER: Santos Souza HF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6752752 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature