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Huţanu DE, Oprita G, Domocos D, Selescu T, Manolache A, Stratulat T, Sauer SK, Tunaru S, Babes A, Babes RM. The antimalarial artemisinin is a non-electrophilic agonist of the transient receptor potential ankyrin type 1 receptor-channel. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 939:175467. [PMID: 36543288 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Artemisinin and its derivatives are the main therapeutic drugs against Plasmodium protists, the causative agents of malaria. While several putative mechanisms of action have been proposed, the precise molecular targets of these compounds have not been fully elucidated. In addition to their antimalarial properties, artemisinins have been reported to act as anti-tumour agents and certain antinociceptive effects have also been proposed. We investigated the effect of the parent compound, artemisinin, on a number of temperature-gated Transient Receptor Potential ion channels (so called thermoTRPs), given their demonstrated roles in pain-sensing and cancer. We report that artemisinin acts as an agonist of the Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin type 1 (TRPA1) receptor channel. Artemisinin was able to evoke calcium transients in HEK293T cells expressing recombinant human TRPA1, as well as in a subpopulation of mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons which also responded to the selective TRPA1 agonist allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and these responses were reversibly abolished by the selective TRPA1 antagonist A967079. Artemisinin also triggered whole-cell currents in HEK293T cells transiently transfected with human TRPA1, as well as in TRPA1-expressing DRG neurons, and these currents were inhibited by A967079. Interestingly, using human TRPA1 mutants, we demonstrate that artemisinin acts as a non-electrophilic agonist of TRPA1, activating the channel in a similar manner to carvacrol and menthol. These results may provide a better understanding of the biological actions of the very important antimalarial and anti-tumour agent artemisinin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora-Elena Huţanu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei 91-95, 050095, Bucharest, Romania
| | - George Oprita
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei 91-95, 050095, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Dan Domocos
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei 91-95, 050095, Bucharest, Romania; Cell Signalling Research Group, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independenţei 296, 060031, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Tudor Selescu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei 91-95, 050095, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Alexandra Manolache
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei 91-95, 050095, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Teodora Stratulat
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei 91-95, 050095, Bucharest, Romania; Cell Signalling Research Group, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independenţei 296, 060031, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Susanne K Sauer
- Institute of Physiology and Experimental Pathophysiology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Universitaetsstrasse 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sorin Tunaru
- Cell Signalling Research Group, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independenţei 296, 060031, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Alexandru Babes
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independenţei 91-95, 050095, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Ramona-Madalina Babes
- Department of Biophysics, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Str. Dionisie Lupu 37, 020021, Bucharest, Romania
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Basore K, Cheng Y, Kushwaha AK, Nguyen ST, Desai SA. How do antimalarial drugs reach their intracellular targets? Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:91. [PMID: 25999857 PMCID: PMC4419668 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Drugs represent the primary treatment available for human malaria, as caused by Plasmodium spp. Currently approved drugs and antimalarial drug leads generally work against parasite enzymes or activities within infected erythrocytes. To reach their specific targets, these chemicals must cross at least three membranes beginning with the host cell membrane. Uptake at each membrane may involve partitioning and diffusion through the lipid bilayer or facilitated transport through channels or carriers. Here, we review the features of available antimalarials and examine whether transporters may be required for their uptake. Our computational analysis suggests that most antimalarials have high intrinsic membrane permeability, obviating the need for uptake via transporters; a subset of compounds appear to require facilitated uptake. We also review parasite and host transporters that may contribute to drug uptake. Broad permeability channels at the erythrocyte and parasitophorous vacuolar membranes of infected cells relax permeability constraints on antimalarial drug design; however, this uptake mechanism is prone to acquired resistance as the parasite may alter channel activity to reduce drug uptake. A better understanding of how antimalarial drugs reach their intracellular targets is critical to prioritizing drug leads for antimalarial development and may reveal new targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Basore
- The Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Yang Cheng
- The Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Ambuj K Kushwaha
- The Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Sanjay A Desai
- The Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Rockville, MD, USA
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Kasinathan RS, Föller M, Koka S, Huber SM, Lang F. Inhibition of eryptosis and intraerythrocytic growth of Plasmodium falciparum by flufenamic acid. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2006; 374:255-64. [PMID: 17180616 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-006-0122-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2006] [Accepted: 11/02/2006] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Non-selective (NSC) cation channels participate in the Ca(2+) leak of human erythrocytes. Sustained activity of these channels triggers suicidal erythrocyte death (eryptosis), which is characterized by Ca(2+)-stimulated cell shrinkage and phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure. PS-exposing erythrocytes are rapidly cleared from circulating blood. PGE(2) activates the NSC channels, and erythrocyte PGE(2) formation is stimulated by a decrease in intra- or extracellular Cl(-) concentration. In addition, the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum activates the NSC channels, most probably to accomplish Na(+) and Ca(2+) entry into the erythrocyte cytosol required for parasite development. By Ca(2+) uptake the parasite maintains a low Ca(2+) concentration in the erythrocyte cytosol and thus delays the suicidal death of the host erythrocyte. Flufenamic acid has previously been shown to inhibit NSC channels. The present study thus explored the effect of flufenamic acid on erythrocyte Ca(2+) entry, on suicidal erythrocyte death and on intraerythrocytic growth of P. falciparum. Within 48 h, replacement of extracellular Cl(-) with gluconate or application of PGE(2) (50 microM) increased Fluo3 fluorescence reflecting cytosolic Ca(2+) activity, decreased forward scatter reflecting cell volume and increased annexin V binding reflecting PS exposure in FACS analysis. All those effects were significantly blunted in the presence of flufenamic acid (10 microM). Flufenamic acid (25 microM) further significantly delayed the intraerythrocytic growth of P. falciparum and the PS exposure of the infected erythrocytes. The present observations disclose a novel effect of flufenamic acid, which may allow the pharmacological manipulation of erythrocyte survival and the course of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi S Kasinathan
- Department of Physiology, University of Tübingen, Gmelinstrasse 5, Tübingen, Germany
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