An in vitro study on the toxoplasmacidal activity of lonomycin A in host cells.

Lonomycin A at various concentrations was tested for its inhibitory effect on Toxoplasma multiplication in host cells cultured in vitro. Results indicate that lonomycin A at a concentration of 0.01 micrograms per ml in TC-199 medium demonstrated a high degree of antitoxoplasma activity with complete inhibition of Toxoplasma multiplication in the host cells. Lymphokines, a supernatant produced from spleen cells of mice infected chronically with Toxoplasma gondii, inhibited Toxoplasma multiplication in mice macrophage and kidney cell monolayers. However, lonomycin A inhibited completely Toxoplasma multiplication in non-specific cells, i.e. not only in mice macrophages and kidney cells but also in cells of human and other animal species.