Effect of deferoxamine alone and combined with pyrimethamine on acute toxoplasmosis in mice.

The standard regimen of treatment for toxoplasmosis is pyrimethamine with sulfadiazine. However, it is not suitable in some conditions, and nontolerable in AIDS patients. Deferoxamine (DFO), an iron chelator, is well tolerated clinically in transfusion induced - iron overload. The present study had shown that DFO is a promising drug against acute toxoplasmosis in mice. Three doses of 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg DFO were used either alone or in combination with pyrimethamine. Alone, it was effective in a dose- related response with the resultant of 70% protection of infected mice. When DFO was combined with a low minimally effective dose of pyrimethamine, a 100% protection was recorded with the prolongation in duration of survival of mice. Different possible mechanisms of action of DFO against Toxoplasma gondii were discussed.