> Quinine is unrelated to the quinolones although it is related to other
> antimalarial quinolines (such as chloroquine and mefloquine). The
> mechanism of action of quinine is still unknown, although it probably
> acts in the malarial lysosome.
> Its antimalarial activities have been known since the 17th century.
> Quinine, when given at doses effective against malaria, has lots of
> side effects. However, there is only a tiny amount of quinine in tonic
> water. (Although it is rumored that British settlers in India, needing
> to sweeten their daily prophylactic tonic, added gin as a sweetener and
>thus introduced the gin and tonic.)
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>Steve Meshnick, M.D., Ph.D.
>Professor of Epidemiology
>University of Michigan School of Public Health
>Ann Arbor MI 48109
Check out recent work by Dan Goldberg's lab here at WashU. I think the action
of quinines has to do with inhibtion of an enzyme involved with heme metabolism.
I know there was a Science paper in the past year that nicely demonstrated
inhibition of HRP II and loss of hemozoin formation.
Brett Lindenbach
Program in Immunology
Washington University - St Louis
brett at borcim.wustl.edu
"I own my own pet virus. I get to pet and name her." - Cobain