Malaria, quinine and red cell lysis.

An hypothesis is presented to explain the red cell lysis which accompanies an acute malarial infection, as well as the mode of action of certain schizonticidal drugs in the quinoline and acridine series. Quinine and a number of other antimalarial drugs have been found to counteract the inhibition by protein of fatty acid-induced lysis, when tested in an in vitro system. It is suggested that these schizonticides exert their chemotherapeutic effect by inducing the premature lysis of the parasitized red cell, as a result of relieving the inhibition by protein of haemolysis.