Abstract
Methotrexate resistance induced in culturedPlasmodium falciparum depends on an altered dihydrofolate reductase with decreased affinity for methotrexate as well as for pyrimethamine. In contrast, pyrimethamine-resistant field isolates ofP. falciparum lack cross-resistance to methotrexate and 2,4-diamino-5-(substituted benzyl) pyrimidines. The structure of the latter class was optimized by the use of trimethoprim as a lead and the substitution of methoxy groups at the benzyl ring by 3-(4′-aminophenyl-4-sulfonylphenylamino)propoxy or by (4′-aminophenyl-4-sulfonylphenyl)methoxy, which resulted in antimalarials of high potency. The efficiency of these newly designed 2,4-diamino-5-(substituted benzyl) pyrimidines was confirmed by their strong inhibitory effect on plasmodial dihydrofolate reductase as well as by in vitro screening against drug-sensitive and-resistant strains ofP. falciparum.
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Walter, R.D., Bergmann, B., Kansy, M. et al. Pyrimethamin-resistantPlasmodium falciparum lack cross-resistance to methotrexate and 2,4-diamino-5-(substituted benzyl) pyrimidines. Parasitol Res 77, 346–350 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00930913
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00930913