The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 25, Issue 3 167-174, Copyright © 1988 by Society for General Microbiology
Measurement of hypoxanthine incorporation in purified suspensions of Mycobacterium leprae: a suitable method to screen for anti-leprosy agents in vitro
P. R. Wheeler
Department of Biochemistry, University of Hull.
The rate of incorporation of hypoxanthine was measured in suspensions of
Mycobacterium leprae, with and without added anti-leprosy agents. Dapsone,
clofazamine and brodimoprim, as well as other benzylpryimidines, inhibited
hypoxanthine incorporation, and their minimum inhibitory concentrations for
incorporation with intact M. leprae were near the minimum inhibitory
concentrations at which the agents have antibacterial effects. At
sub-inhibitory concentrations for hypoxanthine incorporation, some
combinations of benzylpyrimidines and dapsone were inhibitory, suggesting
that synergic effects of anti-leprosy agents might also be detected by the
inhibition of hypoxanthine incorporation. Thus, demonstration of inhibition
of hypoxanthine incorporation in M. leprae could be a rapid method for
screening anti-leprosy agents and especially for preliminary testing of
new, potential anti-leprosy agents. The rate of hypoxanthine incorporation
was generally lower in suspensions of M. leprae with lower viability, but
it was not proportional to viability so the technique would not be suitable
for accurate determination of viability.
