Drug resistance in trypanosomes: effects of metabolic inhibitiors, pH and oxidation-reduction potential on normal and resistant Trypanosoma rhodesiense.

A wide variety of metabolic inhibitors tested in vitro for trypanocidal activity on normal and drug-resistant strains of Trypanosoma rhodesiense showed no relation between acquired drug resistance and changes in specific enzymatic function. Oxidation-reduction potential is an important factor in trypanocidal action but is not obviously related to the development of resistance. The dependence on pH of the trypanocidal action of ionizing drugs against both normal and resistant trypanosomes supports the postulate that the development of resistance involves physical changes in cell structures associated with the uptake of drug.