Plasmodium vinckei: selection of a strain exhibiting stable resistance to arteether.

A strain of rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium vinckei showing >12-fold resistance to arteether has been selected after exposure to sub-curative doses of drug in 44 sequential passages over a period of 700 days. Experimentally induced resistance was found to be stable after drug free maintenance of parasites for 11 serial passages over a period of 100 days. Cross-sensitivity studies have shown that apart form resistance to related derivatives like artemether and artesunic acid, the derived parasites also show resistance to quinine and mefloquine.