Nitro Aryl 1,4-Dihydropyridine Derivatives: Effects on Trypanosoma cruzi

Abstract A series of nitro aryl 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives produced inhibition of both cell growth and oxygen consumption on Tulahuen and LQ strains, and clone Dm 28c of epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi . Nicardipine was found to be the most potent derivative in both growth cell (I 50 = 70 μ M) and oxygen uptake (I 50 = 26 μ M in intact parasites, I 50 = 325 μ M in situ mitochondria). A correlation between the inhibitory effects on the growth cell and the apparent first order kinetic for the uptake of the 1,4-dihypyridine derivatives by T. cruzi epimastigotes was found. Thus, nicardipine, the most potent derivative, exhibited the highest apparent rate constant, k u , (0.043 min −1 ). On the other hand, no susceptibility differences by strains and clone Dm 28c to the action of these drugs were found.