Antileishmanial effect of allopurinol. II. Relationship of adenine metabolism in Leishmania species to the action of allopurinol.

Allopurinol was shown to be effective in vitro against Leishmania mexicana and Leishmania donovani as well as against Leishmania braziliensis. The major metabolic derivative of allopurinol in humans, oxipurinol, also is antileishmanial for L. donovani. The antileishmanial effect of allopurinol and oxipurinol can be specifically reversed by adenine, and its metabolic precursors and derivatives, but by no other purines or their derivative. It is proposed that the adenylosuccinate synthetase or the adenine phosphoribosyltransferase may be sites of action for these agents.