Fato Histórico, Marsden PD. The Discovery o f urea stibamine. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 19:-
/15.
Abr-Jun, 1986
THE DISCOVERY OF UREA STIBAMINE
Ph ilip D. M a rsde n
W e h a v e r e c e n tly c e le b r a te d th e C e n t e n a r y o f G a s p a r V ia n n a a n d h is g r e a t d is c o v e r y o f th e v a lu e o f t a r t a r e m e tic in th e t r e a t m e n t o f l e i s h m a n i a s i s .1 I t is tim e ly to m e n tio n th e im p o r t a n t w o r k in C a l c u t t a o f D o c t o r U p e n d r a n a t h B r a h m a c h a r i . T h e p r o b le m s o f to x ic ity o f t r i v a l e n t in o r g a n ic a n tim o n ia ls a r e w e ll k n o w n a n d b e tw e e n th e y e a r s o f 1 9 1 5 - 1 9 2 1 B r a h m a c h a r i c a r r ie d o u t m a n y e x p e r im e n t s in a s m a ll la b o r a t o r y a t t a c h e d to th e C a m p b e ll M e d ic a i S c h o o l in C a l c u t t a . H e f ir s t s y n th e s is e d s e v e r a l n e w in o r g a n ic a n t im o n ia ls a n d a c h ie v e d s o m e t r e a t m e n t s u c c e s s w ith c o llo id a l m e ta llic a n tim o n y w h ic h w a s t a k e n u p b y th e r e tic u lo e n d o t h e li a l s y s te m . D is s a tis f ie d w ith th e s e r e s u lts h o w e v e r h e t u m e d h is a t te n t io n to o r g a n ic a r o m a tic a n t im o n ia ls in s p ir e d b y th e id e a t h a t a n a n t im o n ia l h a v in g a c o n s titu t io n s im ila r to a to x y l ( w h ic h w a s f o u n d b y E h r l ic h t o b e e f f e c tiv e in s le e p in g s ic k n e s s ) m ig h t p r o v e u s e f u l in k a l a a z a r . I n 1 9 1 9 s u p p o r te d b y th e I n d ia n r e s e a r c h fu n d h e p r e p a r e d P - S tib a n ilic A c i d a n d v a r io u s s a lts . I n 1 9 2 0 b y h e a tin g S tib a n ilic A c i d w ith u r e a h e p r o d u c e d th e f ir s t o r g a n ic a n tim o n ia l t o a c h ie v e w id e a c c e p ta n c e a s a t r e a tm e n t f o r h u m a n l e is h m a n ia s is n a m e ly u r e a s tib a m in e . T h e r e a s o n f o r th is c h o i c e w a s t h a t u r e a in c o m b in a tio n w ith c e r t a i n d r u g s r e d u c e s th e p a in o n in je c tio n . B o th B r a h m a c h a r i a n d S h o r tt o f th e I n d ia n M e d ic a i S e r v ic e f o u n d th is d r u g to b e e x t r e m e l y e f f e c tiv e a n d s a fe in th e t r e a tm e n t o f k a l a a z a r . I t s a v e d th o u s a n d s o f liv e s in í n d i a w h e r e it w a s m a n u f a c tu r e d o n a c o m m e r c ia l s c a le . H o w e v e r it p r o v e d d if f ic u lt t o s ta n d a r d is e a n d
h a s b e e n s u p e r s e d e d b y th e m o r e s a tis f a c to r y p a - r e n ta l p e n t a v a le n t a n t im o n ia ls 2 w h ic h a r e still th e f ir s t c h o ic e f o r th e t r e a tm e n t o f m a n y fo rm s o f le is h m a n ia s is to d a y .
L ik e G a s p a r V ia n n a , U p e n d r a n a th B r a h m a c h a r i a ls o m a d e m a n y o th e r im p o r t a n t s c ie n tiftç dtscov eÚ Q S th e r e p o r ts o f w h ic h a r e c o lle c te d in tw o v o lu m e s u n d e r h is a u t h o r s h i p e n title d G le a n in g s f ro m m y r e s e a r c h 3 4 p u b lis h e d b y th e U n iv e r s it y o f C a l c u t t a in 1 9 4 0 a n d 1 9 4 1 . F o r in te r e s te d s c h o la r s th e s e v o lu m e s a re a v a ila b le f o r c o n s u lta tio n in th e L ib r a r y o f th e N ú c le o d e M e d ic in a T r o p i c a l e N u t r i ç ã o , U n iv e r s id a d e d e B r a s ília , u n d e r th e a c c e s s io n n u m b e rs 1 40 1 a n d 1 4 0 2 . 1 a m g rate fiil to D r . L e o n a r d G o o d w in fo r a g e n e ro u s gift o f th e s e v o lu m e s .
R E F E R E N C E S
1. F r a i h a N e to H . O c e n te n á r io d e G a s p a r V ia n n a. R ev is ta d a S o c ie d a d e B ra s ile ira d e M e d ic in a T ro p ic a l. 1 9 :1 1 1 -1 1 3 , 1 9 8 6 .
2. M a rs d e n P D . P e n ta v a le n t a n tim o n ia ls : o ld d ru g s fo r new d is e a s e s . R e v is ta d a S o c ie d a d e B ra s ile ira d e M ed ic in a T ro p ic a l 1 8 :1 8 7 -1 9 8 . 1 9 8 5 .
3 . B ra h m a c h a ri U . G le a n in g s fr o m m y re s e a rc h . V ol. I. K a la a z a r, its c h e m o th e ra p y . U n iv e rs ity o f C a lc u tta P re s s , 1 9 4 0 .
4 . B ra h m a c h a ri U . G le a n in g s fro m m y re s e a rc h . V ol. II. M a la ria , h a e m o ly s is a n d o th e r s u b jec ts . U n iv e rs ity o f C a lc u tta P r e s s , 1 9 4 1 .
N ú c le o d e M e d ic in a T r o p ic a l e N u triç ã o , U n iv e rs id a d e d e B ra s ília , 7 0 9 1 0 B ra sília , D F , B ra s il
