Antitrichomonal activity of compounds that affect DNA and its repair

The trichomonacidal activity of dimethyl sulphate (DMS) was increased a 100-fold by administration in combination with benzamide and aminobenzamides, compounds thought to interfere with DNA repair in mammalian cells. The same benzamides did not enhance the trichomonacidal activities of metronidazole or a thiosemicarbazone. The results suggest that Trichomonas vaginalis is able to repair damaged DNA and that neither metronidazole nor the thiosemicarbazone affect trichomonal DNA in the same way as DMS. They do not rule out the possibility that the drugs have some other action on DNA.