STUDIES ON PENTANE EVOLUTION BY RATS TREATED WITH NIFURTIMOX OR BENZNIDAZOLE

Nifurtimox and benznidazole are effective drugs in the treatment of Chagas disease. Both drugs cause unwanted side effects, neurotoxicity, dermatoxicity, fever and digestive disorder. Sprague-Dawley male rats were treated with either 100 mg/kg nifurtimox or benznidazole p.o. [by mouth] and pentane evolution was measured at different periods of time. No significant increase in pentane evolution was observed in animals treated with benznidazole during periods of time up to 10 h. In animals treated with nifurtimox, a significant increase in pentane evolution was observed at 10 h but not at 3 or 6 h. The pentane evolution effect of nifurtimox was compared to that of carbon tetrachloride. The latter was very intense up to 1 h and ceased thereafter. The possible participation of lipid peroxidation in the unwanted toxic side effects of nifurtimox and benznidazole is discussed.