The Effect of 3,6,bis-Dimethylaminoacridine on Cultured Bovine Lymphoid Cells Infected with Theileria Parva and in Cattle Experimentally Infected with East Coast Feuer

Abstract

The cytocidal effect of 3,6,bis-dimethylaminoacridine (A. O.) on Theileria parva — infected bovine lymphoblastoid cells was investigated by growing the cells in media containing varying concentrations of the drug for 24 to 48 hours or exposing them to 5 μg./ml. for 1 to 15 minutes. Cell growth was affected by as little as 0.01 μg./ml. A. O., while 2 μg./ml. in culture media killed all cells within 48 hours. Exposure of cells to 5 μg./ml. A. O. for even 1 minute was sufficient to cause fatal injury. In vivo studies in cattle experimentally infected with T. parva showed that A. O. at 2 or 5 mg./kg. could not prevent death in the diseased animals but the time from infection to appearance of piroplasms was longer in the treated than in the control animals.