Biological activity of analogs of guanine and guanosine against American Trypanosoma and Leishmania spp.

The growth inhibitory effects of six guanine and guanosine analogs, 3-deazaguanine (compound 1); 3-deazaguanosine (compound 2); 6-aminoallopurinol (compound 3); 9-beta-xylofuranosyl guanine (compound 4); a ribosylated derivative of compound 3, 6-aminopyrazolo(3,4-d)pyrimidin-4-one (compound 5); and 5-aminoformycin B (compound 6), were tested against some pathogenic members of the family of American Trypanosomatidae. Compounds 1 and 2 were highly active against Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma rangeli, and American Leishmania spp. in in vitro culture forms. Both compounds also showed antiprotozoal activity in T. cruzi-infected mice, with the optimal dose being about 30 mg/kg of body weight per day given as 10 consecutive doses. Compound 3 was the most active compound in vitro, inhibiting all of the American Trypanosomatidae culture forms tested. It was also highly inhibitory in mice that were acutely infected with T. cruzi, with the optimal dose being about 10 mg/kg of body weight per day. Ribosylation of compound 3 resulted in a derivative that showed decreased inhibitory activity on Trypanosomatidae multiplication. Compound 6 was highly inhibitory of in vitro multiplication of American Leishmania and T. rangeli but had no effect on T. cruzi epimastigotes and on mice that were acutely infected with T. cruzi. Compound 4 showed only a slight effect on T. cruzi epimastigotes.