ABSTRACT
One of the logical approaches to providing effective chemoprophylaxis and treatment of malaria is to develop new drugs that will specifically inhibit parasite growth and reproduction. One such approach involves taking advantage of changes in the permeability properties of the membrane of the infected red cell which are caused by the growth and reproduction of the intraerythrocytic malarial parasite. Previous studies have established that permeability to a variety of compounds such as glucose, nucleosides, amino acids, sodium, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron, and several antimalarial drugs is altered in the infected red cell compared to the normal erythrocyte (for a review see Sherman, 1988). Several of these permeability changes and their implications are discussed in other chapters in this book (see Chapters 2, 35 and 39). This article is principally concerned with the changes in the transport of nucleosides in the malaria-infected erythrocyte, and the related intraerythrocytic parasite Babesia, and its applicability to chemotherapy.
