Platinum—Amine Complexes as Trypanocides

The use of macromolecules as carriers to reduce host toxicity was demonstrated by Williamson and co-workers to be very effective in improving the trypanocidal activity of daunorubicin [74] and this approach has been attempted also with cisplatin [75]. The complex of polyglutamic acid with c/5-[Pt(NH3)2(H20)2] has been reported to have marked activity in vivo in T. congolense [75]. The activity has been attributed to lower toxicity of this complex relative to that of cisplatin, although factors 

Ultrastructural studies on platinum-treated trypanosomes showed some lesions similar to those of tumour cells [67]. Abnormal division with the presence of anucleate, multinucleate, giant, and incompletely divided forms were observed, indicating effects on nuclear DNA. Similarly, central clumping of nuclear chromatin is also indicative of DNA interaction, and it seems that the cellular effects of platinum complexes on trypanosomes may be expected to be similar to those on mammalian cells [67]. 

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