Amprolium

Amprolium is a thiamine analog and antiprotozoal agent that interferes with thiamine metabolism and inhibits carbohydrate synthesis.^1,2,3,4 It competitively inhibits thiamine uptake by E. tenella schizonts and by chick host intestinal cells (K_is = 7.6 and 326 μM, respectively).¹ It also inhibits hexose formation and pentose utilization ex vivo in isolated lysed rat erythrocytes and in liver, kidney, heart, and intestinal tissue homogenates following dietary administration.² Amprolium (1,000 ppm in feed) inhibits oocyst output and sporulation of Eimeria maxima, E. brunetti, and E. acervulina in infected chicks.³ It also decreases lesion and oocyst scores and mortality of E. tenella-infected chicks following dietary administration of a 125 ppm dose.⁴ Amprolium (100 μM) induces apoptosis in PC12 rat adrenal cells and increases the level of cleaved caspase-3.⁵ Formulations containing amprolium have been used as coccidiostats in poultry processing.

1.James, S.Thiamine uptake in isolated schizonts of Eimeria tenella and the inhibitory effects of amproliumParasitology80(2)313-322(1980) 2.Brin, M.The antithiamine effects of amprolium in rats on tissue transketolase activityToxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.6(4)454-458(1964) 3.Joyner, L.P., and Norton, C.C.The anticoccidial effects of amprolium, dinitolmide and monensin against Eimeria maxima, E. brunetti and E. acervulina with particular reference to oocyst sporulationParasitology75(2)155-164(1977) 4.Abbas, R.I., Manzoor, Z., Munawar, S.H., et al.Anticoccidial activity of hydrochloric acid (HCl) against Eimeria tenella in broiler chickensPesq. Vet. Bras.31(5)425-429(2011) 5.Chornyy, S., Parkhomenko, J., and Chorna, N.Thiamine deficiency caused by thiamine antagonists triggers upregulation of apoptosis inducing factor gene expression and leads to caspase 3-mediated apoptosis in neuronally differentiated rat PC-12 cellsActa. Biochim. Pol.54(2)315-322(2007)