Metabolic N-hydroxylation of diminazene in vitro

The two N-hydroxylated derivatives (amide oximes) and the corresponding amides of the trypanocidal diamidine diminazene (Berenil, CAS 536-71-0) have been synthesized. These reference compounds made it possible to investigate the in vitro metabolism of the amidine functionalities of diminazene. Diminazene metabolites were detected for the first time, in the form of the corresponding mono- and di(amide oxime), after incubation with 12000 g supernatants from rabbit liver homogenates and careful workup (freeze drying). The identification was based on the behavior in thin-layer chromatography and on comparison of the mass spectral data for the metabolites with those for synthetic material. The N-hydroxylation of diminazene showed the properties typical of a reaction catalyzed by a microsomal monoxygenase. Diminazene amides did not occur as metabolites. The di(amide oxime) of diminazene was tested for its trypanocidal and leishmanicidal activity on various laboratory strains of trypanosomes in mice and on Leishmania donovani in hamsters. The studies showed that the di(amide oxime) has a trypanocidal effect on various strains of trypanosomes (T. brucei, T. vivax, T. congolense and T. evansi), but this is distinctly weaker than that of diminazene. A diminazene-resistant strain of T. rhodesiense is also unaffected by the di(amide oxime). The di(amide oxime) also has a leishmanicidal effect, but this again is distinctly less than that of diminazene.