Antiprotozoals protozoal infections

While nitrofurans are often prepared as antibacterial agents, nitroimidazole forms the basis for an extensive class of agents used in the treatment of infections by the protozoans. Unlike bacterial infections, protozoal infections are seldom life-threatening. The physical discomfort occasioned by such infections is, however, of sufficient importance to provide a useful therapeutic place for antiprotozoal agents. A particularly common set of such conditions are parasitic infections of the genitalia caused by Trichomonas vaginalis. These disorders are called trichomoniasis. 

The mechanism of inhibition of these protozoal infections by the most active drugs, puromycin and the aminonucleoside, is not known. Puromycin and nucleocidin both interfere with protein synthesis, but the aminonucleoside does not. It is known to be demethylated to 3 -amino-3-deoxyadenosine, which is phosphorylated and interferes with nucleic acid metabolism (see above). Whether puromycin must be converted to the aminonucleoside before it can inhibit protozoa has not been established. Some purine analogues known to interfere with nucleic acid metabolism, however, are less effective as antiprotozoal agents, even in vitro, perhaps because their effects are primarily on the de novo pathway which many, if not all, protozoa do not use [406]. 

ANTIMICROBIAL with ANTIBACTERIAL and ANTIPROTOZOAL actions. It widely used orally for a range of bacterial and protozoal infections. It acts as a potent aldehyde DEHYDROGENASE INHIBITOR, which can lead to Significant interactions with other drugs. It is also a diamine oxidase INHIBITOR. 

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