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Musset O, Balourdet A, Perrot-Minnot MJ. Laser-based killing of a macroparasite inside its live invertebrate host. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2023; 4:100135. [PMID: 37583436 PMCID: PMC10424119 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Clearing infection is an essential step to address many issues in host-parasite interactions but is challenging when dealing with endoparasites of large size relative to that of their host. Here, we took advantage of the lethality, contactless and versatility of high-energy laser beam to achieve it, using thorny-headed worms (Acanthocephala) and their amphipod intermediate host as a model system. We show that laser-based de-parasitization can be achieved using 450 nm Blue Diode Laser targeting carotenoid pigments in the bird acanthocephalan Polymorphus minutus. Using proboscis evagination failure and DNA degradation to establish parasite death, we found that 80% P. minutus died from within-host exposure to 5 pulses of 50 ms duration, 1.4 W power. Survival of infected gammarids 11 days after laser treatment was 60%. Preliminary tests were also performed with Nanosecond-Green Laser targeting lipids in Pomphorhynchus tereticollis, another acanthocephalan parasite. We discuss the efficiency and side-effect of laser treatment in this host-parasite system and highlight the perspectives that this technology more generally offers in parasitology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Musset
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne, UMR 6303 CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 9 Avenue Alain Savary, 21078, Dijon, France
| | - Aude Balourdet
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
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Kuhn Agnes KN, Boeff DD, de Oliveira Carvalho L, Konrath EL. Ethnobotanical knowledge on native Brazilian medicinal plants traditionally used as anthelmintic agents - A review. Exp Parasitol 2023; 249:108531. [PMID: 37044282 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Intestinal helminthiasis is a neglected disease that affects a significant portion of the global population, specifically in developing countries, where medicinal plants are widely used for therapeutic purposes. With the purpose to identify the native species used in traditional Brazilian medicine for the management of helminthiasis, ethnopharmacological books edited in Brazil documenting the folk use of medicinal plants were analyzed. The native species cited in at least three studies were selected, and bibliographic research was performed using electronic databases to identify their scientifically validated anthelmintic properties. The search retrieved 133 native species belonging to 88 genera and 43 families from all six Brazilian biomes. Fabaceae (14 Genera and 25 Species) and Asteraceae (7 Genera and 8 Species) were the most frequently cited families. The most reported native species were Baccharis crispa Spreng., Hymenaea courbaril L., Senna occidentalis (L.) Link, Carapa guianensis Aubl., Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich.) Vahl, Annona glabra L., Hymenaea stigonocarpa Mart. ex Hayne, Spigelia anthelmia L., Simarouba versicolor A.St.-Hil. and Anacardium occidentale L. Bark (19%) and leaves (17%) were the most commonly used plant parts, and decoction (27%) was the most preferred method of preparation. Evidence of the anthelmintic properties of most species was confirmed using in vitro assays for key human and animal parasites, including Haemonchus contortus, Hymenolepis diminuta, Schistosoma mansoni and Trichostrongylus spp. The species S. alata, S. occidentalis, A. occidentale, and S. anthelmia have been the subject of many biological studies, supporting their use as vermicides. The overall results obtained in this review revealed that Brazil is rich in traditional herbal medicines used to manage helminthiasis; however pharmacological investigations are lacking to confirm their therapeutic properties. Thus, this study could serve as a baseline to validate their use and encourage further clinical investigation of their vermifuge potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelin Natalia Kuhn Agnes
- Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Daiana Daniele Boeff
- Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Letícia de Oliveira Carvalho
- Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Luis Konrath
- Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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The Tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta as an Important Model Organism in the Experimental Parasitology of the 21st Century. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121439. [PMID: 36558772 PMCID: PMC9784563 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta is a common parasite of the small intestine in rodents but it can also infect humans. Due to its characteristics and ease of maintenance in the laboratory, H. diminuta is also an important model species in studies of cestodiasis, including the search for new drugs, treatments, diagnostics and biochemical processes, as well as its host-parasite interrelationships. A great deal of attention has been devoted to the immune response caused by H. diminuta in the host, and several studies indicate that infection with H. diminuta can reduce the severity of concomitant disease. Here, we present a critical review of the experimental research conducted with the use of H. diminuta as a model organism for over more than two decades (in the 21st century). The present review evaluates the tapeworm H. diminuta as a model organism for studying the molecular biology, biochemistry and immunology aspects of parasitology, as well as certain clinical applications. It also systematizes the latest research on this species. Its findings may contribute to a better understanding of the biology of tapeworms and their adaptation to parasitism, including complex correlations between H. diminuta and invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. It places particular emphasis on its value for the further development of modern experimental parasitology.
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Song X, Li C, Chen W. Phytoremediation potential of Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) pers.) in soils co-contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cadmium. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 234:113389. [PMID: 35272194 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Soils co-contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and cadmium (Cd) have serious environmental impacts and are highly toxic to humans and ecosystems. Phytoremediation is an effective biotechnology for the remediation and restoration of PAH- and Cd-polluted soils. Pot experiments were conducted to investigate the individual and combined effects of PAHs (1238.62 mg kg-1) and Cd (23.1 mg kg-1) on the phytoremediation potential of Bermuda grass grown in contaminated soils. Bermuda grass exhibited a significant decrease in plant growth rate, leaf pigment content, root activity, plant height and biomass and a remarkable increase in malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage when grown in PAH- and Cd-contaminated soils compared with grass grown in uncontaminated soils. The activity of soil enzymes, including urease, alkaline phosphatase, sucrose, and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, were reduced in soil with PAH and Cd stress. Furthermore, the toxicity of combined PAHs and Cd on Bermuda grass growth and soil enzyme activity was much higher than that of PAH or Cd stress alone, suggesting a synergistic effect of PAHs and Cd on cytotoxicity. To scavenge redundant reactive oxygen species and avoid oxidative damage, Bermuda grass increased plant catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activity and soluble sugar and proline content. The bioconcentration factor of Cd in Bermuda grass grown under Cd alone and combined PAH and Cd exposure was greater than 1 for both, suggesting that Bermuda grass has a high Cd accumulation ability. Under PAH alone and combined PAH and Cd exposure conditions, a higher PAH removal rate (41.5-56.8%) was observed in soils planted with Bermuda grass than in unplanted soils (24.8-29.8%), indicating that Bermuda grass has a great ability to degrade PAHs. Bermuda grass showed great phytoremediation potential for the degradation of PAHs and phytoextraction of Cd in co-contaminated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiliang Song
- College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China; Shandong Provincial Engineering & Technology Research Center for Phyto-Microremediation in Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong, China
| | - Changjiang Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China
| | - Weifeng Chen
- College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China; Shandong Provincial Engineering & Technology Research Center for Phyto-Microremediation in Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong, China.
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Joardar N, Jana K, Babu SPS. Crude protein fraction with high thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) enzyme activity from filarial parasite Setaria cervi counters lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in macrophages. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:1379-1388. [PMID: 35320838 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07495-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Host-parasite interaction has always been an area of interest to the parasite biologists. The complex immune interactions between the parasite and/or the parasite-derived products with the host immune cells determine the fate of the disease biology. Parasitic organisms are widely equipped with a vast array of protective machineries including antioxidant enzymes to withstand the hostile condition inside the host body. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated inside the host as a result of parasitic intervention can be endured by the parasite by their own tools to ensure their survival. One such antioxidant enzyme in the filarial parasite that plays a significant role in redox homeostasis, survivability and disease progression is the thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). Herein, we have projected a crude lysate of the bovine filarial parasite Setaria cervi enriched with high TrxR enzyme activity has the capacity to downregulate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory macrophages. TrxR-mediated inhibition of the TLR4-NF-κB axis resulting into downregulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines with concomitant upregulation of the anti-inflammatory cytokines supports the filarial parasite to produce an anti-inflammatory milieu which ultimately promotes worm survivability inside the host and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhilesh Joardar
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Siksha-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, Bolpur, 731235, West Bengal, India
| | - Kuladip Jana
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Road Scheme VIIM, Kolkata, 700 054, West Bengal, India
| | - Santi P Sinha Babu
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Siksha-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, Bolpur, 731235, West Bengal, India.
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