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Kołodziej P, Wujec M, Doligalska M, Makuch-Kocka A, Khylyuk D, Bogucki J, Demkowska-Kutrzepa M, Roczeń-Karczmarz M, Studzińska M, Tomczuk K, Kocki M, Reszka-Kocka P, Granica S, Typek R, Dawidowicz AL, Kocki J, Bogucka-Kocka A. Synthesis and anthelmintic activity of novel thiosemicarbazide and 1,2,4-triazole derivatives: In vitro, in vivo, and in silico study. J Adv Res 2024; 60:57-73. [PMID: 37467960 PMCID: PMC11156610 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.07.004] [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: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Intestinal parasitic infections are neglected diseases and, due to the increasing resistance of parasites to available drugs, they pose an increasing therapeutic challenge. Therefore, there is a great need for finding new compounds with antiparasitic activity. OBJECTIVES In this work, new thiosemicarbazide and 1,2,4-triazole derivatives were synthesized and tested for their anthelmintic activity. METHODS The synthesis was carried out by classical methods of organic chemistry. Anthelmintic activity tests were carried out in vitro (Rhabditis sp., Haemonchus contortus, Strongylidae sp.) in vivo (Heligmosomoides polygyrus/bakeri), and in silico analysis was performed. RESULTS Quinoline-6-carboxylic acid derivative compounds were designed and synthesized. The highest activity in the screening tests in the Rhabditis model was demonstrated by compound II-1 with a methoxyphenyl substituent LC50 = 0.3 mg/mL. In the next stage of the research, compound II-1 was analyzed in the H. contortus model. The results showed that compound II-1 was active and had ovicidal (percentage of dead eggs > 45 %) and larvicidal (percentage of dead larvae > 75 %) properties. Studies in the Strongylidae sp. model confirmed the ovicidal activity of compound II-1 (percentage of dead eggs ≥ 55 %). In vivo studies conducted in the H. polygyrus/bakeri nematode model showed that the number of nematodes decreased by an average of 30 % under the influence of compound II-1. In silico studies have shown two possible modes of action of compound II-1, i.e. inhibition of tubulin polymerization and SDH. The test compound did not show any systemic toxic effects. Its influence on drug metabolism related to the activity of cytochrome CYP450 enzymes was also investigated. CONCLUSION The results obtained in the in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies indicate that the test compound can be described as a HIT, which in the future may be used in the treatment of parasitic diseases in humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemysław Kołodziej
- Laboratory of Diagnostic Parasitology, Chair and Department of Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Monika Wujec
- Chair and Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Maria Doligalska
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1 Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Makuch-Kocka
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska 11 Street, 20-080 Lublin, Poland
| | - Dmytro Khylyuk
- Chair and Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Jacek Bogucki
- Chair and Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Marta Demkowska-Kutrzepa
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 12 Street, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Monika Roczeń-Karczmarz
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 12 Street, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Maria Studzińska
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 12 Street, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Tomczuk
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 12 Street, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Marcin Kocki
- Chair and Department of Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Patrycja Reszka-Kocka
- Chair and Department of Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Sebastian Granica
- Microbiota Lab, Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1 Street, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rafał Typek
- Department of Chromatography, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Marii Curie Sklodowskiej 3 Square, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
| | - Andrzej L Dawidowicz
- Department of Chromatography, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Marii Curie Sklodowskiej 3 Square, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
| | - Janusz Kocki
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska 11 Street, 20-080 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Bogucka-Kocka
- Chair and Department of Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, 4A Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
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Pavičić A, Zajíčková M, Šadibolová M, Svobodová G, Matoušková P, Szotáková B, Langhansová L, Maršík P, Skálová L. Anthelmintic activity of European fern extracts against Haemonchus contortus. Vet Res 2023; 54:59. [PMID: 37443113 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-023-01192-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Most drugs used in the treatment of helminthiasis in humans and animals have lost their efficacy due to the development of drug-resistance in helminths. Moreover, since anthelmintics, like many pharmaceuticals, are now recognized as hazardous contaminants of the environment, returning to medicinal plants and their products represents an environmentally friendly way to treat helminthiasis. The goal of the present study was to test the anthelminthic activity of methanol extracts of eight selected European ferns from the genera Dryopteris, Athyrium and Blechnum against the nematode Haemonchus contortus, a widespread parasite of small ruminants. Eggs and adults of H. contortus drug-susceptible strain ISE and drug-resistant strain WR were isolated from experimentally infected sheep. The efficacy of fern extracts was assayed using egg hatch test and adults viability test based on ATP-level measurement. Among the ferns tested, only Dryopteris aemula extract (0.2 mg/mL) inhibited eggs hatching by 25% in comparison to control. Athyrium distentifolium, Dryopteris aemula and Dryopteris cambrensis were effective against H. contortus adults. In concentration 0.1 mg/mL, A. distentifolium, D. aemula, D. cambrensis significantly decreased the viability of females from ISE and WR strains to 36.2%, 51.9%, 32.9% and to 35.3%, 27.0%, 23.3%, respectively in comparison to untreated controls. None of the extracts exhibited toxicity in precise cut slices from ovine liver. Polyphenol's analysis identified quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid and protocatechuic acid as the major components of these anthelmintically active ferns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Pavičić
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Zajíčková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Šadibolová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriela Svobodová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Matoušková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Szotáková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Langhansová
- Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 263, 16502, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Maršík
- Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 263, 16502, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Skálová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
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Munguía B, Saldaña J, Nieves M, Melian ME, Ferrer M, Teixeira R, Porcal W, Manta E, Domínguez L. Sensitivity of Haemonchus contortus to anthelmintics using different in vitro screening assays: a comparative study. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:129. [PMID: 35413885 PMCID: PMC9006605 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05253-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Helminthiasis and resistance to commercial anthelmintic compounds are major causes of economic losses for livestock producers, resulting in an urgent need for new drugs and reliable in vitro screening tests capable of detecting potentially active products. Considering this, a series of novel benzimidazole derivatives (5-methylbenzimidazole 1,2-disubstituted, 5-carboxybenzimidazole, 5-methylbenzimidazole 2-one) was screened on exsheathed L3 (xL3) and on the adult stage of Haemonchus contortus (Kirby anthelmintic-susceptible McMaster isolate). METHODS This work presents the set-up of an automated motility assay on the xL3 stage of H. contortus using an infrared tracking device (WMicrotracker One) together with a larval development test (xL3 to L4) and a motility assay on the adult stage of H. contortus. A comparative study of the sensitivity of these in vitro assays using commercial anthelmintics with different mechanisms of action was carried out, also evaluating anthelmintic activity of a series of novel benzimidazole derivatives. RESULTS The automated xL3 assay had the great advantage of being able to analyze many compounds simultaneously, but it showed the limitation of having lower sensitivity, requiring higher concentrations of the commercial anthelmintics tested compared to those needed for the adult motility or development assays. Although none of the novel 1,2,5-tri-substituted benzimidazole derivatives could significantly decrease the motility of xL3s, one of them (1e) significantly affected the development of xL3s to L4, and five new compounds (1b, 1d, 1e, 2a and 2c) reduced the motility of H. contortus adult stage. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of the results strongly suggests that the in vitro xL3 to L4 development test, particularly for the L4 stage, could be closer to the pharmacological sensitivity of the adult stage of H. contortus (target of interest) for commercial anthelmintic selected, with different mechanisms of action, and for the series of benzimidazole derivatives assayed. Therefore, an automated motility assay on L4 using the infrared tracking device is being set up. Further studies will be conducted to evaluate the in vivo anthelmintic activity of the most active novel benzimidazole derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Munguía
- Área de Farmacología, CIENFAR, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República (Udelar), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Jenny Saldaña
- Área de Farmacología, CIENFAR, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República (Udelar), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Magdalena Nieves
- Área de Farmacología, CIENFAR, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República (Udelar), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - María Elisa Melian
- Área de Farmacología, CIENFAR, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República (Udelar), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Manuela Ferrer
- Área de Farmacología, CIENFAR, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República (Udelar), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Ramiro Teixeira
- Área de Farmacología, CIENFAR, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República (Udelar), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Williams Porcal
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República (Udelar), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Eduardo Manta
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Laboratorio de Química Farmacéutica, Universidad de la República (Udelar), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Laura Domínguez
- Área de Farmacología, CIENFAR, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República (Udelar), Montevideo, Uruguay.
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Kovaļčuka L, Keidāne D, Kļaviņa A, Grasberga MB, Vekšins A. Most common inappropriate drug usage factors in anthelmintic treatment on sheep farms in Latvia. Vet World 2022; 15:244-251. [PMID: 35400951 PMCID: PMC8980379 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2022.244-251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim There is little understanding about antiparasitic drug prescription trends and implementation to reduce possible drug overuse or misuse worldwide. This study aimed to review sheep parasite control strategies and antiparasitic drug use habits in Latvia. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study in the world that describes how antiparasitic drugs are used and what are the most common drug usage errors in a sheep farm. Materials and Methods A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to collect relevant information from face-to-face interviews to assess 22 sheep farmers' knowledge and management procedures in farms. We collected information about animal feeding, herding, parasite diagnostics, and antiparasitic drug usage. The questionnaire summary included information on pasture use, parasite control management, and anthelmintic drug choice/use. Results Only 36% of farms regularly managed parasite control by analyzing fecal samples for parasites, but prophylactic dewormingwas employed in all farms. Ivermectin, albendazole, levamisole, and monepantel were used on the farms and most of the farms were multidrug users; 77.3% of the farms used albendazole and 72.7% used ivermectin. Conclusion The results indicated a lack of parasitological examination and parasite control of the flock, mostly empiric drug selection, incorrect dosing, inaccurate drug administration, drug storage, and use errors. A proactive approach to herd health planning, regular parasitic control, and prophylactic measures may benefit farmers and veterinarians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Līga Kovaļčuka
- Clinical Institute, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, K. Helmana street 8, Jelgava, LV-3004, Latvia
| | - Dace Keidāne
- Institute of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, K. Helmana street 8, Jelgava, LV-3004, Latvia
| | - Alīna Kļaviņa
- Institute of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, K. Helmana street 8, Jelgava, LV-3004, Latvia
| | - Marta Barbara Grasberga
- Clinical Institute, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, K. Helmana street 8, Jelgava, LV-3004, Latvia
| | - Armands Vekšins
- Clinical Institute, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, K. Helmana street 8, Jelgava, LV-3004, Latvia
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Dhar ED, Yadav AK, Basumatary G, Bez G. Anti-pinworm activity of novel coumarin-based trisubstituted methanes in Syphacia obvelata-infected mice. Parasitol Int 2021; 85:102425. [PMID: 34325083 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The control of pinworms mainly relies on use of anthelmintic drugs. At present, there exists only few medications against pinworms, and their repeated use pose a serious risk of resistance development. Therefore, new anti-pinworm drugs are required to overcome the risk of resistance. This study reports the anti-pinworm activity of three novel coumarin-based trisubstituted methanes (TRSMs), i.e., 6-Amino-5-((4-hydroxy-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)(4-fluoro-phenyl)methyl)-1,3-dimethyl-pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (1), 6-Amino-5-((4-hydroxy-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)(4-chlor-ophenyl)methyl)-1,3-dimethyl-pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (2) and 6-Amino-5-((4-hydroxy-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)(4-bromophenyl)methyl)-1,3-dimethyl-pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (3) in Syphacia obvelata-infected mice. The oral acute toxicity of compounds was examined using the OECD guidelines. The findings of this study reveal that TRSM analogues 1 and 2, at a single 80 mg/kg dose given for 5 days, can reduce about 90% of pinworm worm burden in mice, compared to 98% worm reduction shown by 20 mg/kg dose of albendazole, the reference drug, on the 12 day of infection. In particular, the fluoro-and bromo-substituents in the phenyl ring of synthesized derivatives greatly influence the efficacy of candidates. The oral acute toxicity of TRSMs was observed to be greater than 2000 mg/kg body weight for mice. Taken together, our study suggests that studied novel coumarin-based trisubstituted methanes could serve as suitable candidates for the development of new anti-pinworm drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Errini Decruse Dhar
- Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
| | - Arun K Yadav
- Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India.
| | - Grace Basumatary
- Department of Chemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
| | - Ghanashyam Bez
- Department of Chemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
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Minsakorn S, Watthanadirek A, Poolsawat N, Puttarak P, Chawengkirttikul R, Anuracpreeda P. The anthelmintic potentials of medicinal plant extracts and an isolated compound (rutin, C 27H 30O 16) from Terminalia catappa L. against Gastrothylax crumenifer. Vet Parasitol 2021; 291:109385. [PMID: 33667989 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Paramphistomosis is a pathogenic disease that occurs frequently in tropical and subtropical countries including Thailand. This disease is affected in the parasites causing severe gastrointestinal disorders and death in infected animals. In the present study, we examined the anthelmintic efficacy of albendazole (ABZ) and crude plant extracts from barks of Bombax ceiba L., Diospyros rhodocalyx Kurz. and Vitex glabrata R.Br., and leaves of Terminalia catappa L. and Cassia alata L. against Gastrothylax crumenifer. The hightest anthelmintic activity on the parasites after 24 h incubation was observed in the n-butanol extract of T. catappa leaf. In this study, fractionation bioassay of n-butanol extract of T. catappa leaf was conducted to both separation and discrimination of rutin served as a new efficient compound (LC50 = 28.96; LC90 = 88.75 μg/mL) against G. crumenifer. This compound was confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), 13C NMR, infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectra as well as mass spectra data. The rutin-treated parasites with all dosages showed swift decrease of the motility and the relative motility (RM) and survival index (SI) were decreased obviously from 3 h until flukes were killed after 12 h of incubation. When observed with light microscopy, the parasites showed the earliest change in a limited region of the tegument. When observed by scanning electron microscopy, the parasites' tegument exhibited similar sequences of surface changes after treatments with rutin and ABZ, but less severity in ABZ treatment. The sequences of changes comprised swelling of folds and ridges, formation of blebbing, rupturing of blebs, erosions, lesions and the tegument demolition. Hence, rutin could be considered as the potential anthelmintic agent for treatment of paramphistomosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sutthida Minsakorn
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Amaya Watthanadirek
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Napassorn Poolsawat
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Panupong Puttarak
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hat-Yai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand
| | - Runglawan Chawengkirttikul
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Panat Anuracpreeda
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand.
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Silva SF, Klippel AH, Ramos PZ, Santiago ADS, Valentini SR, Bengtson MH, Massirer KB, Bilsland E, Couñago RM, Zanelli CF. Structural features and development of an assay platform of the parasite target deoxyhypusine synthase of Brugia malayi and Leishmania major. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008762. [PMID: 33044977 PMCID: PMC7581365 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) catalyzes the first step of the post-translational modification of eukaryotic translation factor 5A (eIF5A), which is the only known protein containing the amino acid hypusine. Both proteins are essential for eukaryotic cell viability, and DHS has been suggested as a good candidate target for small molecule-based therapies against eukaryotic pathogens. In this work, we focused on the DHS enzymes from Brugia malayi and Leishmania major, the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis and cutaneous leishmaniasis, respectively. To enable B. malayi (Bm)DHS for future target-based drug discovery programs, we determined its crystal structure bound to cofactor NAD+. We also reported an in vitro biochemical assay for this enzyme that is amenable to a high-throughput screening format. The L. major genome encodes two DHS paralogs, and attempts to produce them recombinantly in bacterial cells were not successful. Nevertheless, we showed that ectopic expression of both LmDHS paralogs can rescue yeast cells lacking the endogenous DHS-encoding gene (dys1). Thus, functionally complemented dys1Δ yeast mutants can be used to screen for new inhibitors of the L. major enzyme. We used the known human DHS inhibitor GC7 to validate both in vitro and yeast-based DHS assays. Our results show that BmDHS is a homotetrameric enzyme that shares many features with its human homologue, whereas LmDHS paralogs are likely to form a heterotetrameric complex and have a distinct regulatory mechanism. We expect our work to facilitate the identification and development of new DHS inhibitors that can be used to validate these enzymes as vulnerable targets for therapeutic interventions against B. malayi and L. major infections. Target-based drug discovery strategies hold the promise to discover safer and more effective treatments for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Genetic manipulation techniques have been used to successfully identify essential genes in eukaryotic parasites. Unfortunately, the fact that a gene is essential under controlled laboratory conditions does not automatically make the corresponding gene-product vulnerable to pharmacological intervention in a clinical setting within the human host. To allow the discovery and development of small molecule tool compounds that can be used to validate pharmacologically vulnerable targets, one must first establish compound screening assays and obtain structural information for the candidate target. Eukaryotic cells lacking deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) function are not viable. DHS catalyzes the first step in a post-translational modification that is critical for the function of eIF5A. Presence of mature eIF5A is also essential for eukaryotic cell viability. Here we reported compound screening assays (yeast-based for Brugia malayi and Leishmania major; in vitro for B. malayi only) and provided further regulatory and structural insights we hope will aid in the identification and development of inhibitors for the DHS enzymes from two NTD-causing organisms—B. malayi, the causative agent of lymphatic filariasis and L. major, the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Priscila Zonzini Ramos
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), Medicinal Chemistry Center (CQMED), Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC-UNICAMP), University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - André da Silva Santiago
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), Medicinal Chemistry Center (CQMED), Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC-UNICAMP), University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Mario Henrique Bengtson
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), Medicinal Chemistry Center (CQMED), Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC-UNICAMP), University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Katlin Brauer Massirer
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), Medicinal Chemistry Center (CQMED), Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC-UNICAMP), University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth Bilsland
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael Miguez Couñago
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), Medicinal Chemistry Center (CQMED), Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC-UNICAMP), University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
- * E-mail: (RMC); (CFZ)
| | - Cleslei Fernando Zanelli
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University—UNESP, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
- * E-mail: (RMC); (CFZ)
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Zajíčková M, Nguyen LT, Skálová L, Raisová Stuchlíková L, Matoušková P. Anthelmintics in the future: current trends in the discovery and development of new drugs against gastrointestinal nematodes. Drug Discov Today 2019; 25:430-437. [PMID: 31883953 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The control of gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs), the most abundant and serious parasites of livestock, has become difficult because of the limited number of available drugs and fast development of drug resistance. Thus, considerable efforts have been devoted to developing new anthelmintics that are efficient against nematodes, especially resistant species. Here, we summarize the most recent results using various approaches: target-based or high-throughput screening (HTS) of compound libraries; the synthesis of new derivatives or new combinations of current anthelmintics; the repurposing of drugs currently approved for other indications; and lastly, the identification of active plant products. We also evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each of these approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Zajíčková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Linh Thuy Nguyen
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Skálová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Raisová Stuchlíková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Matoušková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
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The Anthelmintic Effects of Medicinal Plant Extracts Against Paramphistome Parasites, Carmyerius spatiosus. Acta Parasitol 2019; 64:566-574. [PMID: 31111359 DOI: 10.2478/s11686-019-00072-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Paramphistomosis is a disease caused by the rumen flukes which cause an acute gastroenteritis and anemia with high mortality particularly in young ruminants. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, we have investigated the anthelmintic effect of medicinal plant extracts from leaves and heartwoods of Cassia siamea L., roots of Plumbago zeylanica L. and Plumbago indica L., and leaves of Terminalia catappa L. against Carmyerius spatiosus. RESULTS The highest anthelminthic effect on the flukes after 24 h of exposure was found in heartwood ethyl acetate extract of C. siamea (LC50 = 374.30; LC90 = 749.03 ppm), root n-butanol extract of P. zeylanica (LC50 = 1005.12; LC90 = 2411.55 ppm), root hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol extract of P. indica (LC50 = 34.38, 211.34, 506.92; LC90 = 64.09, 496.05, 934.86 ppm), and leaf n-butanol and water extract of T. catappa (LC50 = 487.17, 470.28; LC90 = 913.27, 848.23 ppm). When observed by scanning electron microscopy, the tegument showed similar sequence of morphological changes after treatments with all plant extracts, comprising of swelling of ridges and folds, blebbing, rupturing of the blebs, erosion, lesion and disruption of the tegument. CONCLUSION This study is the first report on the anthelmintic activity of plant extracts to C. spatiosus; therefore, these plant extracts are highly effective in the elimination of adult rumen flukes.
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The in vitro anthelmintic activity of the ethanol leaf extracts of Terminalia catappa L. on Fasciola gigantica. Parasitology 2017; 144:1931-1942. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017001445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYAt present, there are no medicinal plant extracts currently available for treatment and control of fasciolosis. The present work could provide, for the first study, conclusions on the in vitro fasciolicidal properties of the ethanol extract of Terminalia catappa L. (TcCE) leaves against adult Fasciola gigantica after incubation with RPMI-1640 medium containing the TcCE at various concentrations and times when compared with triclabendazole (TCZ). The relative motility and survival index values of the TcCE-treated flukes decreased at a more rapid rate than the TCZ-treated flukes. The death of the parasites was observed after exposed to TcCE at 3 h incubation with 400, 800 and 1000 µg mL−1, and at 6 h incubation in 100 and 200 µg mL−1. Vacuolization, blebbings and partial disruption on the parasites’ tegument were observed by light microscopy. When examined by scanning electron microscopy, TcCE caused similar tegumental alterations in the parasites as those observed in TCZ treatment but with larger damage at comparative incubation periods, consisting of swelling, blebbing, disrupted blebs, loss of spines, leading to the erosion, lesion and eventual disruption of the total tegument. Therefore, the TcCE may exert its fasciolicidal effect against F. gigantica by initially causing the tegumental alteration.
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Piña-Vázquez DM, Mayoral-Peña Z, Gómez-Sánchez M, Salazar-Olivo LA, Arellano-Carbajal F. Anthelmintic effect of Psidium guajava and Tagetes erecta on wild-type and Levamisole-resistant Caenorhabditis elegans strains. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2017; 202:92-96. [PMID: 28286043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Psidium guajava and Tagetes erecta have been used traditionally to treat gastrointestinal parasites, but their active metabolites and mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY To evaluate the anthelmintic potential of Psidium guajava and Tagetes erecta extracts on Levamisole-sensitive and Levamisole-resistant strains of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. MATERIALS AND METHODS Aqueous extracts of Psidium guajava (PGE) and Tagetes erecta (TEE) were assayed on locomotion and egg-laying behaviors of the wild-type (N2) and Levamisole-resistant (CB193) strains of Caenorhabditis elegans. RESULTS Both extracts paralyzed wild-type and Levamisole-resistant nematodes in a dose-dependent manner. In wild-type worms, TEE 25mg/mL induced a 75% paralysis after 8h of treatment and PGE 25mg/mL induced a 100% paralysis after 4h of treatment. PGE exerted a similar paralyzing effect on N2 wild-type and CB193 Levamisole-resistant worms, while TEE only partially paralyzed CB193 worms. TEE 25mg/mL decreased N2 egg-laying by 65% with respect to the untreated control, while PGE did it by 40%. CONCLUSIONS Psidium guajava leaves and Tagetes erecta flower-heads possess hydrosoluble compounds that block the motility of Caenorhabditis elegans by a mechanism different to that of the anthelmintic drug Levamisole. Effects are also observable on oviposition, which was diminished in the wild-type worms. The strong anthelmintic effects in crude extracts of these plants warrants future work to identify their active compounds and to elucidate their molecular mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denia M Piña-Vázquez
- Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Zyanya Mayoral-Peña
- Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Maricela Gómez-Sánchez
- Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Querétaro, Mexico.
| | - Luis A Salazar-Olivo
- IPICYT, División de Biología Molecular, Camino a la Presa San José 2055, San Luis Potosí 76216, Mexico.
| | - Fausto Arellano-Carbajal
- Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Querétaro, Mexico.
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The anthelmintic effects of the ethanol extract ofTerminalia catappaL. leaves against the ruminant gut parasite,Fischoederius cobboldi. Parasitology 2016; 143:421-33. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182015001833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYPresently, no effective anthelmintic drugs have been used to treat and control paramphistomosis, a severe disease of ruminants. In this study, we have investigated thein vitroanthelmintic effect of the leaves ofTerminalia catappaL. crude extract (TcCE) and albendazole (ABZ) on adultFischoederius cobboldiafter incubating the flukes in RPMI-1640 medium containing the TcCE at various doses and times. The TcCE-treated flukes at all dosages exhibited rapid decrease of motility, and the relative motility (RM) values were decreased sharply from start to 3 h. Worms were killed after 6 and 12 h of treatment with 1000, 1500 and 2000µg mL−1as well as 500µg mL−1of TcCE, respectively. By light microscopy examination, the flukes exhibited the earliest alteration in a limited area of the tegument. At scanning electron microscopy level, the flukes’ tegument showed similar sequence of morphological alterations after treatment with ABZ and TcCE that consisted of swelling of ridges and folds, followed by blebbing and rupturing of the blebs, leading to the erosion, lesion and disruption of the tegument. Hence,in vivostudies should be performed to examine whether the TcCE may serve as a powerful anthelmintic drug for treatment of paramphistomosis.
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Yeast-Based High-Throughput Screens to Identify Novel Compounds Active against Brugia malayi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004401. [PMID: 26812604 PMCID: PMC4727890 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lymphatic filariasis is caused by the parasitic worms Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi or B. timori, which are transmitted via the bites from infected mosquitoes. Once in the human body, the parasites develop into adult worms in the lymphatic vessels, causing severe damage and swelling of the affected tissues. According to the World Health Organization, over 1.2 billion people in 58 countries are at risk of contracting lymphatic filariasis. Very few drugs are available to treat patients infected with these parasites, and these have low efficacy against the adult stages of the worms, which can live for 7–15 years in the human body. The requirement for annual treatment increases the risk of drug-resistant worms emerging, making it imperative to develop new drugs against these devastating diseases. Methodology/Principal Findings We have developed a yeast-based, high-throughput screening system whereby essential yeast genes are replaced with their filarial or human counterparts. These strains are labeled with different fluorescent proteins to allow the simultaneous monitoring of strains with parasite or human genes in competition, and hence the identification of compounds that inhibit the parasite target without affecting its human ortholog. We constructed yeast strains expressing eight different Brugia malayi drug targets (as well as seven of their human counterparts), and performed medium-throughput drug screens for compounds that specifically inhibit the parasite enzymes. Using the Malaria Box collection (400 compounds), we identified nine filarial specific inhibitors and confirmed the antifilarial activity of five of these using in vitro assays against Brugia pahangi. Conclusions/Significance We were able to functionally complement yeast deletions with eight different Brugia malayi enzymes that represent potential drug targets. We demonstrated that our yeast-based screening platform is efficient in identifying compounds that can discriminate between human and filarial enzymes. Hence, we are confident that we can extend our efforts to the construction of strains with further filarial targets (in particular for those species that cannot be cultivated in the laboratory), and perform high-throughput drug screens to identify specific inhibitors of the parasite enzymes. By establishing synergistic collaborations with researchers working directly on different parasitic worms, we aim to aid antihelmintic drug development for both human and veterinary infections. We have developed and validated a yeast-based high-throughput screening assay for the identification of specific inhibitors of filarial targets. We engineered yeast strains to functionally express parasite and human enzymes, labeling these with fluorescent proteins and growing them in competition in the presence of test compounds. These strains express different target proteins from Brugia malayi (as well as their human orthologs) and our results demonstrate that it is possible to identify compounds that can discriminate between filarial and human enzymes. Accordingly, we are confident that we can extend our assay to novel targets from Brugia malayi and other worms of medical and veterinary importance, and perform high-throughput screens to identify new drugs against different parasitic worms.
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An evidence-based approach to the evaluation of ethnoveterinary medicines against strongyle nematodes of equids. Vet Parasitol 2015; 210:40-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Preston S, Jabbar A, Nowell C, Joachim A, Ruttkowski B, Baell J, Cardno T, Korhonen PK, Piedrafita D, Ansell BRE, Jex AR, Hofmann A, Gasser RB. Low cost whole-organism screening of compounds for anthelmintic activity. Int J Parasitol 2015; 45:333-43. [PMID: 25746136 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Revised: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Due to major problems with drug resistance in parasitic nematodes of animals, there is a substantial need and excellent opportunities to develop new anthelmintics via genomic-guided and/or repurposing approaches. In the present study, we established a practical and cost-effective whole-organism assay for the in vitro-screening of compounds for activity against parasitic stages of the nematode Haemonchus contortus (barber's pole worm). The assay is based on the use of exsheathed L3 (xL3) and L4 stages of H. contortus of small ruminants (sheep and goats). Using this assay, we screened a panel of 522 well-curated kinase inhibitors (GlaxoSmithKline, USA; code: PKIS2) for activity against H. contortus by measuring the inhibition of larval motility using an automated image analysis system. We identified two chemicals within the compound classes biphenyl amides and pyrazolo[1,5-α]pyridines, which reproducibly inhibit both xL3 and L4 motility and development, with IC50s of 14-47 μM. Given that these inhibitors were designed as anti-inflammatory drugs for use in humans and fit the Lipinski rule-of-five (including bioavailability), they show promise for hit-to-lead optimisation and repurposing for use against parasitic nematodes. The screening assay established here has significant advantages over conventional methods, particularly in terms of ease of use, throughput, time and cost. Although not yet fully automated, the current assay is readily suited to the screening of hundreds to thousands of compounds for subsequent hit-to-lead optimisation. The current assay is highly adaptable to many parasites of socioeconomic importance, including those causing neglected tropical diseases. This aspect is of major relevance, given the urgent need to deliver the goals of the London Declaration (http://unitingtocombatntds.org/resource/london-declaration) through the rapid and efficient repurposing of compounds in public-private partnerships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Preston
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Cameron Nowell
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Anja Joachim
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bärbel Ruttkowski
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jonathan Baell
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Tony Cardno
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Pasi K Korhonen
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - David Piedrafita
- Faculty of Science and Technology, School of Applied and Biomedical Sciences, Federation University, Churchill, Victoria 3842, Australia
| | - Brendan R E Ansell
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Aaron R Jex
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Structural Chemistry Program, Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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Geary TG, Sakanari JA, Caffrey CR. Anthelmintic drug discovery: into the future. J Parasitol 2015; 101:125-33. [PMID: 25584662 DOI: 10.1645/14-703.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The last half-century has provided all of the (few) drugs currently used to treat human helminthiases. Concern regarding the long-term utility of these drugs, given how readily resistance evolves in the veterinary-agricultural sector, spurs the discovery of new chemical entities. We review the approaches and technologies in use to identify anthelmintics and discuss a number of drug discovery paradigms that may prove pivotal to the next half-century of anthelmintic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy G Geary
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada H9X 3V9
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Hernando G, Bouzat C. Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junction: GABA receptors and ivermectin action. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95072. [PMID: 24743647 PMCID: PMC3990606 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of human and animal helminth infections remains staggeringly high, thus urging the need for concerted efforts towards this area of research. GABA receptors, encoded by the unc-49 gene, mediate body muscle inhibition in Caenorhabditis elegans and parasitic nematodes and are targets of anthelmintic drugs. Thus, the characterization of nematode GABA receptors provides a foundation for rational anti-parasitic drug design. We therefore explored UNC-49 channels from C. elegans muscle cultured cells of the first larval stage at the electrophysiological and behavioral levels. Whole-cell recordings reveal that GABA, muscimol and the anthelmintic piperazine elicit macroscopic currents from UNC-49 receptors that decay in their sustained presence, indicating full desensitization. Single-channel recordings show that all drugs elicit openings of ∼2.5 pA (+100 mV), which appear either as brief isolated events or in short bursts. The comparison of the lowest concentration required for detectable channel opening, the frequency of openings and the amplitude of macroscopic currents suggest that piperazine is the least efficacious of the three drugs. Macroscopic and single-channel GABA-activated currents are profoundly and apparently irreversibly inhibited by ivermectin. To gain further insight into ivermectin action at C. elegans muscle, we analyzed its effect on single-channel activity of the levamisol-sensitive nicotinic receptor (L-AChR), the excitatory receptor involved in neuromuscular transmission. Ivermectin produces a profound inhibition of the frequency of channel opening without significant changes in channel properties. By revealing that ivermectin inhibits C. elegans muscle GABA and L-AChR receptors, our study adds two receptors to the already known ivermectin targets, thus contributing to the elucidation of its pleiotropic effects. Behavioral assays in worms show that ivermectin potentiates piperazine-induced paralysis, thus suggesting that their combination is a good strategy to overcome the increasing resistance of parasites, an issue of global concern for human and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermina Hernando
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca-Universidad Nacional del Sur, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Bouzat
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca-Universidad Nacional del Sur, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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Paveley RA, Bickle QD. Automated imaging and other developments in whole-organism anthelmintic screening. Parasite Immunol 2014; 35:302-13. [PMID: 23581722 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 04/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Helminth infections still represent a huge public health problem throughout the developing world and in the absence of vaccines control is based on periodic mass drug administration. Poor efficacy of some anthelmintics and concerns about emergence of drug resistance has highlighted the need for new drug discovery. Most current anthelmintics were discovered through in vivo screening of selected compounds in animal models but recent approaches have shifted towards screening for activity against adult or larval stages in vitro. Larvae are normally available in greater numbers than adults, can often be produced in vitro and are small enough for microplate assays. However, the manual visualization of drug effects in vitro is subjective, laborious and slow. This can be overcome by application of automated readouts including high-content imaging. Incorporated into robotically controlled HTS platforms such methods allow the very large compound collections being made available by the pharmaceutical industry or academic organizations to be screened against helminths for the first time, invigorating the drug discovery pipeline. Here, we review the status of whole-organism screens based on in vitro activity against living worms and highlight the recent progress towards automated image-based readouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Paveley
- Department of Infection and Immunity, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Zhang SM, Coultas KA. Identification of plumbagin and sanguinarine as effective chemotherapeutic agents for treatment of schistosomiasis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2013; 3:28-34. [PMID: 23641325 PMCID: PMC3638872 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2012.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, a snail-borne parasitic disease, affects more than 200 million people worldwide. Currently the treatment of schistosomiasis relies on a single therapy of praziquantel, a drug developed over 30 years ago. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop alternative antischistosomal drugs. In the pursuit of novel antischistosomal drugs, we examined the antischistosomal activities of 45 compounds that had been reported to exhibit antimicrobial and/or antiparasitic activities. Two plant-derived compounds, plumbagin and sanguinarine, were found to possess potent antischistosomal activities in vitro. For both the compounds, a concentration of 10 μM (equivalent to 1.88 μg/ml for plumbagin and 3.68 μg/ml for sanguinarine) resulted in 100% mortality at 48 h, which meets the World Health Organization's (WHO) criterion of "hit" compounds for the control of schistosomiasis. Morphological changes and tegumental alterations of the dead worms treated by the two compounds were quite different. The significant morphological changes of worms after treatment by the two compounds suggest the two compounds target different biological pathways, both of which result in parasite's death. This study provides evidence to suggest plumbagin and sanguinarine have real potential as effective alternative chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Ming Zhang
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
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Lorsuwannarat N, Piedrafita D, Chantree P, Sansri V, Songkoomkrong S, Bantuchai S, Sangpairot K, Kueakhai P, Changklungmoa N, Chaichanasak P, Chansela P, Sobhon P. The in vitro anthelmintic effects of plumbagin on newly excysted and 4-weeks-old juvenile parasites of Fasciola gigantica. Exp Parasitol 2013; 136:5-13. [PMID: 24157317 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2013.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The effect of plumbagin (PB, 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) against newly excysted juveniles (NEJs) and 4-weeks-old immature parasites of Fasciola gigantica were compared with triclabendazole (TCZ). The anthelmintic efficacy of 1, 10 and 100μg/ml of PB or TCZ following incubation in vitro for 1-24h was compared using a combination of relative motility (RM), survival index (SI) and larval migration inhibition (LMI) assays for parasite viability. The RM and SI values of the PB-treated group decreased at a more rapid rate than the TCZ-treated group. For NEJs, the decreased RM values were first observed at 1h incubation with 1μg/ml PB, and 90% of flukes were killed at 24h. In contrast, in TCZ-treated groups a 10-fold higher concentration of TCZ (10μg/ml) resulted in only 9% dead parasites after 24h incubation. In 4-weeks-old juvenile parasites, PB reduced the RM value at 10μg/ml with 100% of flukes dead after 3h, while TCZ decreased RM values at the concentration of 100μg/ml but with only 5% of flukes killed at 24h. NEJs treated with PB exhibited 88%, 99% and 100% of LMIs at the concentrations of 1, 10 and 100μg/ml, respectively. NEJs incubated with TCZ have an LMI of only 32% at the highest concentration of 100μg/ml. Similarly PB had a significantly greater killing of immature 4weeks juvenile stages than TCZ at all concentrations; however, 4-weeks-old juvenile parasites were more resistant to killing by PB or TCZ at all concentrations when compared to NEJs. Further studies were carried out to investigate the alterations of the parasite tegument by scanning electron microscope (SEM). PB caused similar tegumental alterations in 4-weeks-old juveniles as those observed in TCZ treatment but with greater damage at comparative time points, comprising of swelling, blebbing and rupture of the tegument, loss of spines, and eventual erosion, lesion and desquamation of the total tegument. These data indicate that PB had a greater fasciolicidal effect against immature stages of F. gigantica parasites than TCZ and warrant further studies for use as a potential new anthelmintic against Fasciola infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natcha Lorsuwannarat
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
| | - David Piedrafita
- School of Applied Sciences and Engineering, Monash University, Churchill, Victoria 3842, Australia
| | - Pathanin Chantree
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Veerawat Sansri
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Sineenart Songkoomkrong
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Sirasate Bantuchai
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Kant Sangpairot
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Pornanan Kueakhai
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand(d)
| | - Narin Changklungmoa
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand(d)
| | - Pannigan Chaichanasak
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mahanakorn University of Technology, 140 Cheum-Sampan Road, Nong Chok, Bangkok 10530, Thailand
| | - Piyachat Chansela
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Prasert Sobhon
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
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