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Burgess V, Maya JD. Statin and aspirin use in parasitic infections as a potential therapeutic strategy: A narrative review. Rev Argent Microbiol 2023; 55:278-288. [PMID: 37019801 DOI: 10.1016/j.ram.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections, including zoonoses, constitute a threat to human health due to the spread of resistant pathogens. These diseases generate an inflammatory response controlled by a resolving mechanism involving specialized membrane lipid-derived molecules called lipoxins, resolvins, maresins, and protectins. The production of some of these molecules can be triggered by aspirin or statins. Thus, it is proposed that modulation of the host response could be a useful therapeutic strategy, contributing to the management of resistance to antiparasitic agents or preventing drift to chronic, host-damaging courses. Therefore, the present work presents the state of the art on the use of statins or aspirin for the experimental management of parasitic infections such as Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis or malaria. The methodology used was a narrative review covering original articles from the last seven years, 38 of which met the inclusion criteria. Based on the publications consulted, modulation of the resolution of inflammation using statins may be feasible as an adjuvant in the therapy of parasitic diseases. However, there was no strong experimental evidence on the use of aspirin; therefore, further studies are needed to evaluate its role inflammation resolution process in infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Burgess
- Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan D Maya
- Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile.
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Parihar SP, Guler R, Brombacher F. Statins: a viable candidate for host-directed therapy against infectious diseases. Nat Rev Immunol 2019; 19:104-117. [PMID: 30487528 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-018-0094-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Statins were first identified over 40 years ago as lipid-lowering drugs and have been remarkably effective in treating cardiovascular diseases. As research advanced, the protective effects of statins were additionally attributed to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-thrombotic and immunomodulatory functions rather than lipid-lowering abilities alone. By promoting host defence mechanisms and inhibiting pathological inflammation, statins increase survival in human infectious diseases. At the cellular level, statins inhibit the intermediates of the host mevalonate pathway, thus compromising the immune evasion strategies of pathogens and their survival. Here, we discuss the potential use of statins as an inexpensive and practical alternative or adjunctive host-directed therapy for infectious diseases caused by intracellular pathogens, such as viruses, protozoa, fungi and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suraj P Parihar
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town-Component, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa) and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Reto Guler
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town-Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa) and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Frank Brombacher
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town-Component, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa) and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Sanfelice RA, Rodrigues Bosqui L, da Silva SS, Miranda-Sapla MM, Aparecido Panagio L, Navarro IT, Conchon-Costa I, Pavanelli WR, Almeida RS, Nazareth Costa I. Proliferation of Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain) is inhibited by the combination of pravastatin and simvastatin with low concentrations of conventional drugs used in toxoplasmosis. J Appl Biomed 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jab.2017.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Sanfelice RA, Machado LF, Bosqui LR, Miranda-Sapla MM, Tomiotto-Pellissier F, de Alcântara Dalevedo G, Ioris D, Reis GF, Panagio LA, Navarro IT, Bordignon J, Conchon-Costa I, Pavanelli WR, Almeida RS, Costa IN. Activity of rosuvastatin in tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain) in HeLa cells. Exp Parasitol 2017; 181:75-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2017.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Pravastatin and simvastatin inhibit the adhesion, replication and proliferation of Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain) in HeLa cells. Acta Trop 2017; 167:208-215. [PMID: 28012901 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The conventional treatment for toxoplasmosis with pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine shows toxic effects to the host, and it is therefore necessary to search for new drugs. Some studies suggest the use of statins, which inhibit cholesterol synthesis in humans and also the initial processes of isoprenoid biosynthesis in the parasite. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the activity of the statins pravastatin and simvastatin in HeLa cells infected in vitro with the RH strain of T. gondii. HeLa cells (1×105) were infected with T. gondii tachyzoites (5×105) following two different treatment protocols. In the first protocol, T. gondii tachyzoites were pretreated with pravastatin (50 and 100μg/mL) and simvastatin (1.56 and 3.125μg/mL) for 30min prior to infection. In the second, HeLa cells were first infected (5×105) with tachyzoites and subsequently treated with pravastatin and simvastatin for 24h at the concentrations noted above. Initially, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of drugs by the MTT assay, number of tachyzoites adhered to cells, number of infected cells, and viability of tachyzoites by trypan blue exclusion. The supernatant of the cell cultures was collected post-treatment for determination of the pattern of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines by cytometric bead array. There was no cytotoxicity to HeLa cells with 50 and 100μg/mL pravastatin and 1.56 and 3.125μg/mL simvastatin. There was no change in the viability of tachyzoites that received pretreatment. Regarding the pre- and post-treatment of the cells with pravastatin and simvastatin alone, there was a reduction in adhesion, invasion and proliferation of cells to T. gondii. As for the production of cytokines, we found that IL-6 and IL-17 were significantly reduced in cells infected with T. gondii and treated with pravastatin and simvastatin, when compared to control. Based on these results, we can infer that pravastatin and simvastatin alone possess antiproliferative effects on tachyzoites forms of T. gondii, giving these drugs new therapeutic uses.
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Parihar SP, Hartley MA, Hurdayal R, Guler R, Brombacher F. Topical Simvastatin as Host-Directed Therapy against Severity of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Mice. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33458. [PMID: 27632901 PMCID: PMC5025842 DOI: 10.1038/srep33458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We recently demonstrated that statins mediate protection against intracellular pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Listeria monocytogenes in mice. Here, we investigated the immunomodulatory potential of simvastatin as a topical or systemic host-directed drug therapy in controlling inflammatory responses in an experimental mouse model of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major (LV39). In an ear infection model, topical application of simvastatin directly on established lesions significantly reduced severity of the disease reflected by ear lesion size and ulceration. The host protective effect was further accompanied by decreased parasite burden in the ear and draining lymph nodes in both BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. Pre-treatment of these mice on a low-fat cholesterol diet and systemic simvastatin also reduced footpad swelling, as well as parasite burdens and ulceration/necrosis in the more robust footpad infection model, demonstrating the prophylactic potential of simvastatin for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Mechanistically, following L. major infection, simvastatin-treated primary macrophages responded with significantly reduced cholesterol levels and increased production of hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, simvastatin-treated macrophages displayed enhanced phagosome maturation, as revealed by increased LAMP-3 expression in fluorescent microscopy and Western blot analysis. These findings demonstrate that simvastatin treatment enhances host protection against L. major by increasing macrophage phagosome maturation and killing effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suraj P Parihar
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Division of Immunology and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mary-Anne Hartley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Chemin des Boveresses 155, Epalinges, CH1066, Switzerland
| | - Ramona Hurdayal
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Division of Immunology and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch-7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Reto Guler
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Division of Immunology and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Frank Brombacher
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Division of Immunology and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa
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Alves ÉAR, de Miranda MG, Borges TK, Magalhães KG, Muniz-Junqueira MI. Anti-HIV drugs, lopinavir/ritonavir and atazanavir, modulate innate immune response triggered by Leishmania in macrophages: the role of NF-κB and PPAR-γ. Int Immunopharmacol 2014; 24:314-324. [PMID: 25545854 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2014.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the influence of HIV protease inhibitors lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/RTV) and atazanavir (ATV) on macrophage functions during their first interaction with Leishmania. Macrophages from BALB/c mice treated for 10days with LPV/RTV and ATV, infected or not in vitro with L. (L.) amazonensis, were used to investigate the effects of these drugs on infection index, leishmanicidal capacity, cytokine production and PPAR-γ and RelB expression. LPV/RTV and ATV treatments significantly increased the infection index and the percentage of Leishmania-infected macrophages compared to untreated infected macrophages. There was no correlated increase in the production of NO and H2O2 leishmanicidal molecules. Promastigotes derived from Leishmania-infected macrophages from LPV/RTV and ATV-treated BALB/c mice had an in vitro growth 45.1% and 56.4% higher in groups treated with LPV/RTV and ATV than with PBS in culture. ATV treatment reduced IL-12p70 and IL-10 secretion in Leishmania-infected macrophages, but had no effect on IL-23 and TNF production. LPV reduced IL-10 and had no effect on IL-12p70, TNF and IL-23 secretion. ATV treatment decreased PPAR-γ expression in Leishmania-infected macrophages compared to untreated infected macrophages. In addition, LPV/RTV, but not ATV, reduced RelB cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation in Leishmania-infected macrophages. Results showed that LPV/RTV and ATV HIV protease inhibitors were able to modulate innate defense mechanisms against Leishmania via different intracellular pathways. Although HIV protease inhibitors are highly efficient to control the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, these drugs might also influence the course of leishmaniasis in HIV-Leishmania-co-infected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Érica Alessandra Rocha Alves
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Area of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil; Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, René Rachou Research Center, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Marthina Gomes de Miranda
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Area of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
| | - Tatiana Karla Borges
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Area of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
| | - Kelly Grace Magalhães
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
| | - Maria Imaculada Muniz-Junqueira
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Area of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
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Pravastatin modulates macrophage functions of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis-infected BALB/c mice. Exp Parasitol 2013; 134:18-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2013.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2012] [Revised: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and application of statins as a novel effective therapeutic approach against Acanthamoeba infections. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2012; 57:375-81. [PMID: 23114753 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01426-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic pathogen in humans, whose infections most commonly manifest as Acanthamoeba keratitis or, more rarely, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Although there are many therapeutic options for the treatment of Acanthamoeba, they are generally lengthy and/or have limited efficacy. Therefore, there is a requirement for the identification, validation, and development of novel therapeutic targets against these pathogens. Recently, RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely used for these validation purposes and has proven to be a powerful tool for Acanthamoeba therapeutics. Ergosterol is one of the major sterols in the membrane of Acanthamoeba. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase is an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, one of the precursors for the production of cholesterol in humans and ergosterol in plants, fungi, and protozoa. Statins are compounds which inhibit this enzyme and so are promising as chemotherapeutics. In order to validate whether this enzyme could be an interesting therapeutic target in Acanthamoeba, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against HMG-CoA were developed and used to evaluate the effects induced by the inhibition of Acanthamoeba HMG-CoA. It was found that HMG-CoA is a potential drug target in these pathogenic free-living amoebae, and various statins were evaluated in vitro against three clinical strains of Acanthamoeba by using a colorimetric assay, showing important activities against the tested strains. We conclude that the targeting of HMG-CoA and Acanthamoeba treatment using statins is a novel powerful treatment option against Acanthamoeba species in human disease.
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de Saldanha RR, Martins-Papa MC, Sampaio RNR, Muniz-Junqueira MI. Meglumine antimonate treatment enhances phagocytosis and TNF-α production by monocytes in human cutaneous leishmaniasis. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2012; 106:596-603. [PMID: 22884926 DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2012.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2011] [Revised: 07/04/2012] [Accepted: 07/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This work evaluated phagocytic function, hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), TNF-α and IL-10 production by monocytes and serum INF-γ levels in New World human cutaneous leishmaniasis and the influence of meglumine antimonate treatment on these immune functions. The phagocytic capacity of monocytes in untreated Leishmania-infected individuals was significantly (2.5 times) lower than that of healthy controls, and antimonial treatment increased the phagocytosis by monocytes by about five times at the end of therapy. The leishmaniasis patients showed 3.9 times higher H(2)O(2) production than controls and treatment with meglumine antimonate did not influence the production of H(2)O(2), which remained enhanced until the end of treatment. Individuals with leishmaniasis showed 6.3 times lower TNF-α production than healthy individuals and meglumine antimonate treatment caused a significant increment (11.9 times) in its production. INF-γ serum levels were higher in Leishmania-infected individuals than healthy controls, and the production of IL-10 by monocytes was not influenced by infection or antimonial treatment. Enhancement of monocyte functions by the antimonial treatment suggests that the immunomodulatory effects of the drug may also play a part in the way meglumine antimonate acts against the parasite in human leishmaniasis, by directly increasing phagocytosis and TNF-α production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana Regina de Saldanha
- Laboratório de Imunologia Celular, Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil
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Ponte CB, Alves ÉAR, Sampaio RNR, Urdapilleta AAA, Kückelhaus CDS, Muniz-Junqueira MI, Kückelhaus SAS. Miltefosine enhances phagocytosis but decreases nitric oxide production by peritoneal macrophages of C57BL/6 mice. Int Immunopharmacol 2012; 13:114-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2012.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Revised: 02/27/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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