Polyamines as a defense mechanism against lipoperoxidation in Trypanosoma cruzi.

The polyamines, spermine and spermidine--organic polycations that are absolutely required for eukaryotic cell growth--are shown here to function in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes, as protectors of membrane lipoperoxidation by reactive oxygen species generated either by H2O2/Fe2+ or nifurtimox. In vitro, spermine and spermidine inhibited lipoperoxidation in a dose dependent manner. Spermine was more efficient than spermidine in its inhibitory effect.

Effects of isoxazolyl-naphthoquinoneimines on growth and oxygen radical production in Trypanosoma cruzi and Crithidia fasciculata.

Several 4-(aminomethylisoxazolyl)-1,2-naphthoquinones inhibited growth and DNA synthesis in Trypanosoma cruzi and stimulated O2 uptake and O2-. generation by the parasite epimastigotes and their mitochondrial and microsomal membranes; these results support the idea that oxygen radicals play a role in quinone toxicity. Maximal effects on respiration and O2-.

Respiratory control in mitochondria from Trypanosoma cruzi.

Phosphorylating mitochondrial membranes were obtained from Trypanosoma cruzi culture (epimastigote) forms. Using ADP as phosphate acceptor and succinate, sn-glycerol-3-phosphate, L-malate or ascorbate plus tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) as oxidizable substrates, energy coupling sites II and III were detected, with respiratory control values in the range of 2.8-2.