TARGETING THIOLS
Like bacteria, fungi and tumor cells, the ability of Plasmodia to live and grow depends heavily on an internal abundance of reductants. This is especially true regarding thiol compounds also known as sulfhydryl compounds (RSH). [31a,31b] Thiols as a class behave as reductants (electron donors). As such they are especially sensitive to oxidants (electron grabbers). Thiols (RSH) such as glutathione [32a-32L] and other sulfur compounds [33a,33b,33c] are reactive with sodium chlorite (NaClO2) and with chlorine dioxide (ClO2). These are the very agents present in the acidified sodium chlorite solution. The products of oxidation of thiols (RSH) using various oxides of chlorine are: disulfides (RSSR), disulfide monoxides (RSSOR), sulfenic acids (RSOH), sulfinic acids (RSO2H), and sulfonic acids (RSO3H). None of these can support the life
processes of the parasite. Upon sufficient removal of the parasite’s life sustaining thiols by oxidation, the parasite rapidly dies. [34a-34e] A list of thiols (RSH) upon which
survival of Plasmodium species heavily depend includes:
lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid [35a-35h],
coenzyme A and acyl carrier protein [36a-36f],
glutathione [37a-37m],
glutathione reductase [38a-38e],
glutathione-S-transferase [39a-39g],
peroxiredoxin [40a-40L],
thioredoxin [41a-41g],
glutaredoxin [42a,42b,42c],
plasmoredoxin [43a],
thioredoxin reductase [44a-44g],
falcipain [45a-45i],
and ornithine decarboxylase [46a-46e].