14C-desferrioxamine B: uptake into erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium falciparum-infected human erythrocytes (early trophozoite stages) and non-infected erythrocytes were incubated in 1.7 mM 14C-desferrioxamine B (specific activity 1 microCi/2.6 mg desferrioxamine B). After 270 min the cells were washed and the radioactivity was measured in the cell pellet and, after lysis, in cytoplasm and membranes. The results indicate that Desferrioxamine B can the red blood cell and pass through the parasite membrane and that the parasites are killed by the intracellular action of the chelator.