Diminazene (
INN; also known as diminazen) is an anti-infective
medication for animals that is sold under a variety of brand names. It is effective against certain
protozoa
Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris. Histo ...
such as ''
Babesia'', ''
Trypanosoma'', and ''
Cytauxzoon
''Cytauxzoon'' is a genus of parasitic alveolates in the phylum Apicomplexa. The name is derived from the Greek meaning an increase in the number of cells in an animal.
History
This genus was created in 1948 when Neitz and Thomas proposed the ...
''. The drug may also be effective against certain
bacteria including ''
Brucella'' and ''
Streptococcus''.
Chemically it is a di-
amidine and it is
formulated as its
aceturate
Aceturic acid (''N''-acetylglycine) is a derivative of the amino acid glycine. The conjugate base of this carboxylic acid is called ''aceturate'', a term used for its esters and salts.
Preparation
Aceturic acid can be prepared by warming glyci ...
salt, diminazene aceturate.
The mechanism is not well understood; it probably inhibits
DNA replication,
but also has affinity to
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...
.
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Side effects
Acute side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, and
hypotension (low blood pressure). Diminazen can harm the liver, kidneys and brain, which is potentially life-threatening; camels are especially susceptible to these effects.
Resistance
The
Gibe River Valley in southwest
Ethiopia showed universal resistance between July 1989 and February 1993.
This likely indicates a permanent loss of function in this area against the tested target, ''
T. congolense'' isolated from
Boran cattle.
References
Amidines
Antiprotozoal agents
Veterinary drugs
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