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Al Khoury C, Thoumi S, Tokajian S, Sinno A, Nemer G, El Beyrouthy M, Rahy K. ABC transporter inhibition by beauvericin partially overcomes drug resistance in Leishmania tropica. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0136823. [PMID: 38572959 PMCID: PMC11064568 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01368-23] [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: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease infecting the world's poorest populations. Miltefosine (ML) remains the primary oral drug against the cutaneous form of leishmaniasis. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are key players in the xenobiotic efflux, and their inhibition could enhance the therapeutic index. In this study, the ability of beauvericin (BEA) to overcome ABC transporter-mediated resistance of Leishmania tropica to ML was assessed. In addition, the transcription profile of genes involved in resistance acquisition to ML was inspected. Finally, we explored the efflux mechanism of the drug and inhibitor. The efficacy of ML against all developmental stages of L. tropica in the presence or absence of BEA was evaluated using an absolute quantification assay. The expression of resistance genes was evaluated, comparing susceptible and resistant strains. Finally, the mechanisms governing the interaction between the ABC transporter and its ligands were elucidated using molecular docking and dynamic simulation. Relative quantification showed that the expression of the ABCG sub-family is mostly modulated by ML. In this study, we used BEA to impede resistance of Leishmania tropica. The IC50 values, following BEA treatment, were significantly reduced from 30.83, 48.17, and 16.83 µM using ML to 8.14, 11.1, and 7.18 µM when using a combinatorial treatment (ML + BEA) against promastigotes, axenic amastigotes, and intracellular amastigotes, respectively. We also demonstrated a favorable BEA-binding enthalpy to L. tropica ABC transporter compared to ML. Our study revealed that BEA partially reverses the resistance development of L. tropica to ML by blocking the alternate ATP hydrolysis cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charbel Al Khoury
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Sergio Thoumi
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Sima Tokajian
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Aia Sinno
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Georges Nemer
- Division of Genomics and Translational Biomedicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mark El Beyrouthy
- Department of Agriculture and Food Engineering, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Kelven Rahy
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
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Shahbaz M, Farooq S, Choudhary MI, Yousuf S. Cocrystals of a coumarin derivative: an efficient approach towards anti-leishmanial cocrystals against MIL-resistant Leishmania tropica. IUCRJ 2024; 11:224-236. [PMID: 38427455 PMCID: PMC10916291 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252524001416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected parasitic tropical disease with numerous clinical manifestations. One of the causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is Leishmania tropica (L. tropica) known for causing ulcerative lesions on the skin. The adverse effects of the recommended available drugs, such as amphotericin B and pentavalent antimonial, and the emergence of drug resistance in parasites, mean the search for new safe and effective anti-leishmanial agents is crucial. Miltefosine (MIL) was the first recommended oral medication, but its use is now limited because of the rapid emergence of resistance. Pharmaceutical cocrystallization is an effective method to improve the physicochemical and biological properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Herein, we describe the cocrystallization of coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (CU, 1a; 2-oxobenzopyrane-3-carboxylic acid, C10H6O4) with five coformers [2-amino-3-bromopyridine (1b), 2-amino-5-(trifluoromethyl)-pyridine (1c), 2-amino-6-methylpyridine (1d), p-aminobenzoic acid (1e) and amitrole (1f)] in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio via the neat grinding method. The cocrystals 2-6 obtained were characterized via single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Non-covalent interactions, such as van der Waals, hydrogen bonding, C-H...π and π...π interactions contribute significantly towards the packing of a crystal structure and alter the physicochemical and biological activity of CU. In this research, newly synthesized cocrystals were evaluated for their anti-leishmanial activity against the MIL-resistant L. tropica and cytotoxicity against the 3T3 (normal fibroblast) cell line. Among the non-cytotoxic cocrystals synthesized (2-6), CU:1b (2, IC50 = 61.83 ± 0.59 µM), CU:1c (3, 125.7 ± 1.15 µM) and CU:1d (4, 48.71 ± 0.75 µM) appeared to be potent anti-leishmanial agents and showed several-fold more anti-leishmanial potential than the tested standard drug (MIL, IC50 = 169.55 ± 0.078 µM). The results indicate that cocrystals 2-4 are promising anti-leishmanial agents which require further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Shahbaz
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Saba Farooq
- Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - M. Iqbal Choudhary
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
- Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Sammer Yousuf
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
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Carnielli JB, Dave A, Romano A, Forrester S, de Faria PR, Monti-Rocha R, Costa CH, Dietze R, Graham IA, Mottram JC. 3'Nucleotidase/nuclease is required for Leishmania infantum clinical isolate susceptibility to miltefosine. EBioMedicine 2022; 86:104378. [PMID: 36462405 PMCID: PMC9713291 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Miltefosine treatment failure in visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil has been associated with deletion of the miltefosine susceptibility locus (MSL) in Leishmania infantum. The MSL comprises four genes, 3'-nucleotidase/nucleases (NUC1 and NUC2); helicase-like protein (HLP); and 3,2-trans-enoyl-CoA isomerase (TEI). METHODS In this study CRISPR-Cas9 was used to either epitope tag or delete NUC1, NUC2, HLP and TEI, to investigate their role in miltefosine resistance mechanisms. Additionally, miltefosine transporter genes and miltefosine-mediated reactive oxygen species homeostasis were assessed in 26 L. infantum clinical isolates. A comparative lipidomic analysis was also performed to investigate the molecular basis of miltefosine resistance. FINDINGS Deletion of both NUC1, NUC2 from the MSL was associated with a significant decrease in miltefosine susceptibility, which was restored after re-expression. Metabolomic analysis of parasites lacking the MSL or NUC1 and NUC2 identified an increase in the parasite lipid content, including ergosterol; these lipids may contribute to miltefosine resistance by binding the drug in the membrane. Parasites lacking the MSL are more resistant to lipid metabolism perturbation caused by miltefosine and NUC1 and NUC2 are involved in this pathway. Additionally, L. infantum parasites lacking the MSL isolated from patients who relapsed after miltefosine treatment were found to modulate nitric oxide accumulation in host macrophages. INTERPRETATION Altogether, these data indicate that multifactorial mechanisms are involved in natural resistance to miltefosine in L. infantum and that the absence of the 3'nucleotidase/nuclease genes NUC1 and NUC2 contributes to the phenotype. FUNDING MRC GCRF and FAPES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana B.T. Carnielli
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, United Kingdom,Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória-ES, Brazil,Corresponding author. York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
| | - Anuja Dave
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, United Kingdom
| | - Audrey Romano
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Forrester
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro R. de Faria
- Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória-ES, Brazil
| | - Renata Monti-Rocha
- Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória-ES, Brazil
| | - Carlos H.N. Costa
- Laboratório de Pesquisas em Leishmanioses, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portella, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina-PI, Brazil
| | - Reynaldo Dietze
- Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória-ES, Brazil,Global Health & Tropical Medicine—Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical—Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ian A. Graham
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy C. Mottram
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, United Kingdom,Corresponding author. York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
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Anti-leishmanial physalins-Phytochemical investigation, in vitro evaluation against clinical and MIL-resistant L. tropica strains and in silico studies. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274543. [PMID: 36441782 PMCID: PMC9704608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major health problem in over 98 countries of the world, including Pakistan. The current treatments are associated with a number of adverse effects and availability problem of drugs. Therefore, there is an urgent need of easily available and cost effective treatments of CL- in Pakistan. The bioassay-guided fractionation and purification of crude extract of Physalis minima has led to the isolation of a new aminophysalin B (1), and eight known physalins, physalin B (2), 5ß,6ß-epoxyphysalin B (3), 5α-ethoxy-6ß-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrophysalin B (4), physalin H (5), 5ß,6ß-epoxyphysalin C (6), and physalin G (7), K (8), and D (9). It is worth noting that compound 1 is the second member of aminophysalin series, whereas compound 6 was fully characterized for the first time. The structures of compounds 1-9 were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques Whereas, the structural assignments of compounds 1 and 8 were also supported by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The anti-leishmanial activity of isolated physlains 1-9 was evaluated against Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica promastigotes. Compounds 2, 3, and 5-7 (IC50 = 9.59 ± 0.27-23.76 ± 1.10 μM) showed several-fold more potent activity against L. tropca than tested drug miltefosine (IC50 = 42.75 ± 1.03 μm) and pentamidine (IC50 = 27.20 ± 0.01 μM). Whereas compounds 2, 3 and 5 (IC50 = 3.04 ± 1.12-3.76 ± 0.85 μM) were found to be potent anti-leishmanial agents against L. major, several fold more active than tested standard miltefosine (IC50 = 25.55 ± 1.03 μM) and pentamidine (IC50 = 27.20 ± 0.015 μM). Compounds 4 (IC50 = 74.65 ± 0.81 μM) and 7 (IC50 = 39.44 ± 0.65 μM) also showed potent anti-leishmanial ativity against the miltefosine-unresponsive L. tropica strain (MIL resistant) (miltefosine IC50 = 169.55 ± 0.78 μM). Molecular docking and predictive binding studies indicated that these inhibitors may act via targeting important enzymes of various metabolic pathways of the parasites.
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Alpizar-Sosa EA, Ithnin NRB, Wei W, Pountain AW, Weidt SK, Donachie AM, Ritchie R, Dickie EA, Burchmore RJS, Denny PW, Barrett MP. Amphotericin B resistance in Leishmania mexicana: Alterations to sterol metabolism and oxidative stress response. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010779. [PMID: 36170238 PMCID: PMC9581426 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphotericin B is increasingly used in treatment of leishmaniasis. Here, fourteen independent lines of Leishmania mexicana and one L. infantum line were selected for resistance to either amphotericin B or the related polyene antimicrobial, nystatin. Sterol profiling revealed that, in each resistant line, the predominant wild-type sterol, ergosta-5,7,24-trienol, was replaced by other sterol intermediates. Broadly, two different profiles emerged among the resistant lines. Whole genome sequencing then showed that these distinct profiles were due either to mutations in the sterol methyl transferase (C24SMT) gene locus or the sterol C5 desaturase (C5DS) gene. In three lines an additional deletion of the miltefosine transporter gene was found. Differences in sensitivity to amphotericin B were apparent, depending on whether cells were grown in HOMEM, supplemented with foetal bovine serum, or a serum free defined medium (DM). Metabolomic analysis after exposure to AmB showed that a large increase in glucose flux via the pentose phosphate pathway preceded cell death in cells sustained in HOMEM but not DM, indicating the oxidative stress was more significantly induced under HOMEM conditions. Several of the lines were tested for their ability to infect macrophages and replicate as amastigote forms, alongside their ability to establish infections in mice. While several AmB resistant lines showed reduced virulence, at least two lines displayed heightened virulence in mice whilst retaining their resistance phenotype, emphasising the risks of resistance emerging to this critical drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edubiel A. Alpizar-Sosa
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Nur Raihana Binti Ithnin
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wenbin Wei
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew W. Pountain
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute for Computational Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Stefan K. Weidt
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Anne M. Donachie
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan Ritchie
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Emily A. Dickie
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. S. Burchmore
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul W. Denny
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Alpizar-Sosa EA, Kumordzi Y, Wei W, Whitfield PD, Barrett MP, Denny PW. Genome deletions to overcome the directed loss of gene function in Leishmania. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:988688. [PMID: 36211960 PMCID: PMC9539739 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.988688] [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: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With the global reach of the Neglected Tropical Disease leishmaniasis increasing, coupled with a tiny armory of therapeutics which all have problems with resistance, cost, toxicity and/or administration, the validation of new drug targets in the causative insect vector borne protozoa Leishmania spp is more important than ever. Before the introduction of CRISPR Cas9 technology in 2015 genetic validation of new targets was carried out largely by targeted gene knockout through homologous recombination, with the majority of genes targeted (~70%) deemed non-essential. In this study we exploit the ready availability of whole genome sequencing technology to reanalyze one of these historic cell lines, a L. major knockout in the catalytic subunit of serine palmitoyltransferase (LCB2), which causes a complete loss of sphingolipid biosynthesis but remains viable and infective. This revealed a number of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, but also the complete loss of several coding regions including a gene encoding a putative ABC3A orthologue, a putative sterol transporter. Hypothesizing that the loss of such a transporter may have facilitated the directed knockout of the catalytic subunit of LCB2 and the complete loss of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis, we re-examined LCB2 in a L. mexicana line engineered for straightforward CRISPR Cas9 directed manipulation. Strikingly, LCB2 could not be knocked out indicating essentiality. However, simultaneous deletion of LCB2 and the putative ABC3A was possible. This indicated that the loss of the putative ABC3A facilitated the loss of sphingolipid biosynthesis in Leishmania, and suggested that we should re-examine the many other Leishmania knockout lines where genes were deemed non-essential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasmine Kumordzi
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Wenbin Wei
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Phillip D. Whitfield
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul W. Denny
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Paul W. Denny,
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Simvastatin Resistance of Leishmania amazonensis Induces Sterol Remodeling and Cross-Resistance to Sterol Pathway and Serine Protease Inhibitors. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020398. [PMID: 35208853 PMCID: PMC8877030 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The sterol biosynthesis pathway of Leishmania spp. is used as a pharmacological target; however, available information about the mechanisms of the regulation and remodeling of sterol-related genes is scarce. The present study investigated compensatory mechanisms of the sterol biosynthesis pathway using an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase (simvastatin) and by developing drug-resistant parasites to evaluate the impact on sterol remodeling, cross-resistance, and gene expression. Simvastatin-resistant L. amazonensis parasites (LaSimR) underwent reprogramming of sterol metabolism manifested as an increase in cholestane- and stigmastane-based sterols and a decrease in ergostane-based sterols. The levels of the transcripts of sterol 24-C-methyltransferase (SMT), sterol C14-α-demethylase (C14DM), and protease subtilisin (SUB) were increased in LaSimR. LaSimR was cross-resistance to ketoconazole (a C14DM inhibitor) and remained sensitive to terbinafine (an inhibitor of squalene monooxygenase). Sensitivity of the LaSimR mutant to other antileishmanial drugs unrelated to the sterol biosynthesis pathway, such as trivalent antimony and pentamidine, was similar to that of the wild-type strain; however, LaSimR was cross-resistant to miltefosine, general serine protease inhibitor N-p-tosyl-l-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), subtilisin-specific inhibitor 4-[(diethylamino)methyl]-N-[2-(2-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-N-(3R)-3-pyrrolidinyl-benzamide dihydrochloride (PF-429242), and tunicamycin. The findings on the regulation of the sterol pathway can support the development of drugs and protease inhibitors targeting this route in parasites.
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Beilstein S, El Phil R, Sahraoui SS, Scapozza L, Kaiser M, Mäser P. Laboratory Selection of Trypanosomatid Pathogens for Drug Resistance. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15020135. [PMID: 35215248 PMCID: PMC8879015 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The selection of parasites for drug resistance in the laboratory is an approach frequently used to investigate the mode of drug action, estimate the risk of emergence of drug resistance, or develop molecular markers for drug resistance. Here, we focused on the How rather than the Why of laboratory selection, discussing different experimental set-ups based on research examples with Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Leishmania spp. The trypanosomatids are particularly well-suited to illustrate different strategies of selecting for drug resistance, since it was with African trypanosomes that Paul Ehrlich performed such an experiment for the first time, more than a century ago. While breakthroughs in reverse genetics and genome editing have greatly facilitated the identification and validation of candidate resistance mutations in the trypanosomatids, the forward selection of drug-resistant mutants still relies on standard in vivo models and in vitro culture systems. Critical questions are: is selection for drug resistance performed in vivo or in vitro? With the mammalian or with the insect stages of the parasites? Under steady pressure or by sudden shock? Is a mutagen used? While there is no bona fide best approach, we think that a methodical consideration of these questions provides a helpful framework for selection of parasites for drug resistance in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Beilstein
- Department Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland; (S.B.); (M.K.)
- Swiss TPH, University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Radhia El Phil
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; (R.E.P.); (S.S.S.); (L.S.)
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Suzanne Sherihan Sahraoui
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; (R.E.P.); (S.S.S.); (L.S.)
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Scapozza
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; (R.E.P.); (S.S.S.); (L.S.)
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Kaiser
- Department Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland; (S.B.); (M.K.)
- Swiss TPH, University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Mäser
- Department Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland; (S.B.); (M.K.)
- Swiss TPH, University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-61-284-8338
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In vitro selection of ketoconazole-pentamidine-resistant Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis strains. Exp Parasitol 2021; 233:108206. [PMID: 34973293 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2021.108206] [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: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The use of ketoconazole (KTZ) plus pentamidine (PMD) could be an interesting treatment option for New World cutaneous leishmaniasis. The aim of this work was to generate KTZ- and PMD-resistant strains and to determine some characteristics of the selection process and the resulting parasites. Resistance to one or two drugs was selected on promastigotes by progressively increasing drug concentrations for eleven months. The resistance levels (IC50) to one or two drugs (synergism assay) were determined using a colorimetric resazurin methodology. The stability of the resistance phenotype (without drug pressure or after mouse passage), cross resistance with paromomycin and miltefosine, and resistance transference to intracellular amastigotes were determined. In addition, some parasite attributes compared with WT, such as growth kinetics, amastigogenesis, THP-1 cells, and mouse infection, were determined. Promastigotes resistant to KTZ or PMD were obtained three times earlier than the combined KTZ + PMD-resistant strains. Resistant parasites (promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes) were three to twelve times less susceptible to KTZ and PMD than WT parasites. The resistance phenotype on parasites was unstable, and no cross resistance was observed. Similar parasite fitness related to our evaluated characteristics was observed except for in vivo infection, where a delay of the onset of cutaneous lesions was observed after KTZ + PMD-resistant parasite infection. CONCLUSION: Combined treatment with KTZ and PMD delayed the onset of parasite resistance and was more effective in vitro than each drug separately for WT and all resistant strains. Parasites resistant to KTZ and PMD acquired similar in vitro behaviour to WT parasites, were less virulent to mice and maintained their resistance phenotype on intracellular amastigotes but not without drug pressure or after mouse infection.
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Kar A, Charan Raja MR, Jayaraman A, Srinivasan S, Debnath J, Kar Mahapatra S. Oral combination of eugenol oleate and miltefosine induce immune response during experimental visceral leishmaniasis through nitric oxide generation with advanced cytokine demand. Cytokine 2021; 146:155623. [PMID: 34144446 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Conventional therapy of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) remains challenging with the pitfall of toxicity, drug resistance, and expensive. Hence, urgent need for an alternative approach is essential. In this study, we evaluated the potential of combination therapy with eugenol oleate and miltefosine in Leishmania donovani infected macrophages and in the BALB/c mouse model. The interactions between eugenol oleate and miltefosine were found to be additive against promastigotes and amastigotes with xΣFIC 1.13 and 0.68, respectively. Significantly (p < 0.001) decreased arginase activity, increased nitrite generation, improved pro-inflammatory cytokines, and phosphorylated p38MAPK were observed after combination therapy with eugenol oleate and miltefosine. >80% parasite clearance in splenic and hepatic tissue with concomitant nitrite generation, and anti-VL cytokines productions were observed after orally administered miltefosine (5 mg/kg body weight) and eugenol oleate (15 mg/kg body weight) in L. donovani-infected BALB/c mice. Altogether, this study suggested the possibility of an oral combination of miltefosine with eugenol oleate against visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Kar
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Thanjavur, India
| | - Mamilla R Charan Raja
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Thanjavur, India; Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 600077, India
| | - Adithyan Jayaraman
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Thanjavur, India
| | - Sujatha Srinivasan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Thanjavur, India
| | - Joy Debnath
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Thanjavur, India
| | - Santanu Kar Mahapatra
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Thanjavur, India; Department of Paramedical and Allied Health Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore 721129, West Bengal, India.
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11
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Amine-Linked Flavonoids as Agents Against Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:AAC.02165-20. [PMID: 33685890 PMCID: PMC8092861 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02165-20] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We have designed, synthesized, and characterized a library of 38 novel flavonoid compounds linked with amines. Some of these amine-linked flavonoids have potent in vitro activity against parasites that cause cutaneous leishmaniasis, a tropical disease endemic in 80 countries worldwide. The most promising candidate, FM09h, was highly active with IC50 of 0.3 μM against L. amazonensis, L. tropica and L. braziliensis amastigotes. It was metabolically stable (39% and 66% of FM09h remaining after 30-minute incubation with human and rat liver microsomes respectively). In L. amazonensis LV78 cutaneous leishmaniasis mouse model, intralesional injection of FM09h (10 mg/kg, once every 4 days for 8 times) demonstrated promising effect in reducing the footpad lesion thickness by 72%, displaying an efficacy comparable to SSG (63%).
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12
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Hameed H, King EFB, Doleckova K, Bartholomew B, Hollinshead J, Mbye H, Ullah I, Walker K, Van Veelen M, Abou-Akkada SS, Nash RJ, Horrocks PD, Price HP. Temperate Zone Plant Natural Products-A Novel Resource for Activity against Tropical Parasitic Diseases. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:227. [PMID: 33800005 PMCID: PMC7998250 DOI: 10.3390/ph14030227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of plant-derived natural products for the treatment of tropical parasitic diseases often has ethnopharmacological origins. As such, plants grown in temperate regions remain largely untested for novel anti-parasitic activities. We describe here a screen of the PhytoQuest Phytopure library, a novel source comprising over 600 purified compounds from temperate zone plants, against in vitro culture systems for Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania mexicana, Trypanosoma evansi and T. brucei. Initial screen revealed 6, 65, 15 and 18 compounds, respectively, that decreased each parasite's growth by at least 50% at 1-2 µM concentration. These initial hits were validated in concentration-response assays against the parasite and the human HepG2 cell line, identifying hits with EC50 < 1 μM and a selectivity index of >10. Two sesquiterpene glycosides were identified against P. falciparum, four sterols against L. mexicana, and five compounds of various scaffolds against T. brucei and T. evansi. An L. mexicana resistant line was generated for the sterol 700022, which was found to have cross-resistance to the anti-leishmanial drug miltefosine as well as to the other leishmanicidal sterols. This study highlights the potential of a temperate plant secondary metabolites as a novel source of natural products against tropical parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Hameed
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK; (H.H.); (E.F.B.K.); (K.D.); (H.M.); (I.U.); (M.V.V.)
- Department of Chemistry, College of Education for Pure Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq
| | - Elizabeth F. B. King
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK; (H.H.); (E.F.B.K.); (K.D.); (H.M.); (I.U.); (M.V.V.)
| | - Katerina Doleckova
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK; (H.H.); (E.F.B.K.); (K.D.); (H.M.); (I.U.); (M.V.V.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Hradec Králové, 500 03 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Haddijatou Mbye
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK; (H.H.); (E.F.B.K.); (K.D.); (H.M.); (I.U.); (M.V.V.)
- MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, Atlantic Boulevard, Fajara, Banjul PO Box 273, The Gambia
| | - Imran Ullah
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK; (H.H.); (E.F.B.K.); (K.D.); (H.M.); (I.U.); (M.V.V.)
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Karen Walker
- School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK;
| | - Maria Van Veelen
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK; (H.H.); (E.F.B.K.); (K.D.); (H.M.); (I.U.); (M.V.V.)
| | | | - Robert J. Nash
- PhytoQuest Limited, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, UK; (B.B.); (J.H.); (R.J.N.)
| | - Paul D. Horrocks
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK; (H.H.); (E.F.B.K.); (K.D.); (H.M.); (I.U.); (M.V.V.)
| | - Helen P. Price
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK; (H.H.); (E.F.B.K.); (K.D.); (H.M.); (I.U.); (M.V.V.)
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Mukherjee D, Yousuf M, Dey S, Chakraborty S, Chaudhuri A, Kumar V, Sarkar B, Nath S, Hussain A, Dutta A, Mishra T, Roy BG, Singh S, Chakraborty S, Adhikari S, Pal C. Targeting the Trypanothione Reductase of Tissue-Residing Leishmania in Hosts’ Reticuloendothelial System: A Flexible Water-Soluble Ferrocenylquinoline-Based Preclinical Drug Candidate. J Med Chem 2020; 63:15621-15638. [PMID: 33296601 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Debarati Mukherjee
- Cellular Immunology and Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Md Yousuf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, Pin-700009 West Bengal, India
| | - Somaditya Dey
- Cellular Immunology and Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Sondipon Chakraborty
- Cellular Immunology and Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Ankur Chaudhuri
- Department of Microbiology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Vinay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, Pin-160062 Punjab, India
| | - Biswajyoti Sarkar
- Cellular Immunology and Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Supriya Nath
- Cellular Immunology and Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Aabid Hussain
- Cellular Immunology and Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Aritri Dutta
- Cellular Immunology and Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Tanushree Mishra
- Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, Pin-700009 West Bengal, India
| | - Biswajit Gopal Roy
- Department of Chemistry, Sikkim University,Tadong, Pin-737102 Gangtok, Sikkim, India
| | - Sushma Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, Pin-160062 Punjab, India
| | - Sibani Chakraborty
- Department of Microbiology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
| | - Susanta Adhikari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, Pin-700009 West Bengal, India
| | - Chiranjib Pal
- Cellular Immunology and Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, Pin-700126, West Bengal, India
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Eberhardt E, Bulté D, Van Bockstal L, Van den Kerkhof M, Cos P, Delputte P, Hendrickx S, Maes L, Caljon G. Miltefosine enhances the fitness of a non-virulent drug-resistant Leishmania infantum strain. J Antimicrob Chemother 2020; 74:395-406. [PMID: 30412253 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dky450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Miltefosine is currently the only oral drug for visceral leishmaniasis, and although deficiency in an aminophospholipid/miltefosine transporter (MT) is sufficient to elicit drug resistance, very few naturally miltefosine-resistant (MIL-R) strains have yet been isolated. This study aimed to make a detailed analysis of the impact of acquired miltefosine resistance and miltefosine treatment on in vivo infection. Methods Bioluminescent versions of a MIL-R strain and its syngeneic parental line were generated by integration of the red-shifted firefly luciferase PpyRE9. The fitness of both lines was compared in vitro (growth rate, metacyclogenesis and macrophage infectivity) and in BALB/c mice through non-invasive bioluminescence imaging under conditions with and without drug pressure. Results This study demonstrated a severe fitness loss of MT-deficient parasites, resulting in a complete inability to multiply and cause a typical visceral leishmaniasis infection pattern in BALB/c mice. The observed fitness loss could not be rescued by host immune suppression with cyclophosphamide, whereas episomal reconstitution with a wild-type MT restored parasite virulence, hence linking parasite fitness to MT mutation. Remarkably, in vivo miltefosine treatment or in vitro miltefosine pre-exposure significantly rescued MIL-R parasite virulence. The in vitro pre-exposed MIL-R promastigotes showed a longer and more slender morphology, suggesting an altered membrane composition. Conclusions The profound fitness loss of MT-deficient parasites most likely explains the low frequency of MIL-R clinical isolates. The observation that miltefosine can reverse this phenotype indicates a drug dependency of the MT-deficient parasites and emphasizes the importance of resistance profiling prior to miltefosine administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline Eberhardt
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Dimitri Bulté
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Lieselotte Van Bockstal
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Magali Van den Kerkhof
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Paul Cos
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Peter Delputte
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sarah Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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15
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Hendrickx S, Van Bockstal L, Bulté D, Mondelaers A, Aslan H, Rivas L, Maes L, Caljon G. Phenotypic adaptations of Leishmania donovani to recurrent miltefosine exposure and impact on sand fly infection. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:96. [PMID: 32087758 PMCID: PMC7036194 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3972-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Since the introduction of miltefosine (MIL) as first-line therapy in the kala-azar elimination programme in the Indian subcontinent, treatment failure rates have been increasing. Since parasite infectivity and virulence may become altered upon treatment relapse, this laboratory study assessed the phenotypic effects of repeated in vitro and in vivo MIL exposure. Methods Syngeneic Leishmania donovani lines either or not exposed to MIL were compared for drug susceptibility, rate of promastigote multiplication and metacyclogenesis, macrophage infectivity and behaviour in the sand fly vector, Lutzomyia longipalpis. Results Promastigotes of both in vitro and in vivo MIL-selected strains displayed a slightly reduced drug susceptibility that was associated with a reduced MIL-accumulation linked to a lower copy number (disomic state) of chromosome 13 harboring the miltefosine transporter (LdMT) gene. In vitro selected promastigotes showed a lower rate of metacyclogenesis whereas the in vivo derived promastigotes displayed a moderately increased growth rate. Repeated MIL exposure did neither influence the parasite load nor metacyclogenesis in the sand fly vector. Conclusions Recurrent in vitro and in vivo MIL exposure evokes a number of very subtle phenotypic and genotypic changes which could make promastigotes less susceptible to MIL without attaining full resistance. These changes did not significantly impact on infection in the sand fly vector.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Lieselotte Van Bockstal
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dimitri Bulté
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annelies Mondelaers
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hamide Aslan
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Luis Rivas
- Centro de investigaciones Biológicas - CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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16
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Manzano JI, Konstantinović J, Scaccabarozzi D, Perea A, Pavić A, Cavicchini L, Basilico N, Gamarro F, Šolaja BA. 4-Aminoquinoline-based compounds as antileishmanial agents that inhibit the energy metabolism of Leishmania. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 180:28-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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17
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Veronica J, Chandrasekaran S, Dayakar A, Devender M, Prajapati VK, Sundar S, Maurya R. Iron superoxide dismutase contributes to miltefosine resistance in
Leishmania donovani. FEBS J 2019; 286:3488-3503. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.14923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jalaja Veronica
- Department of Animal Biology School of Life Sciences University of Hyderabad India
| | | | - Alti Dayakar
- Department of Animal Biology School of Life Sciences University of Hyderabad India
| | - Moodu Devender
- Department of Animal Biology School of Life Sciences University of Hyderabad India
| | - Vijay Kumar Prajapati
- Department of Biochemistry School of Life Sciences Central University of Rajasthan Ajmer India
| | - Shyam Sundar
- Department of Medicine IMS Banaras Hindu University Varanasi India
| | - Radheshyam Maurya
- Department of Animal Biology School of Life Sciences University of Hyderabad India
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18
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Complete assembly of the Leishmania donovani (HU3 strain) genome and transcriptome annotation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6127. [PMID: 30992521 PMCID: PMC6467909 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42511-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania donovani is a unicellular parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis, a fatal disease in humans. In this study, a complete assembly of the genome of L. donovani is provided. Apart from being the first published genome of this strain (HU3), this constitutes the best assembly for an L. donovani genome attained to date. The use of a combination of sequencing platforms enabled to assemble, without any sequence gap, the 36 chromosomes for this species. Additionally, based on this assembly and using RNA-seq reads derived from poly-A + RNA, the transcriptome for this species, not yet available, was delineated. Alternative SL addition sites and heterogeneity in the poly-A addition sites were commonly observed for most of the genes. After a complete annotation of the transcriptome, 2,410 novel transcripts were defined. Additionally, the relative expression for all transcripts present in the promastigote stage was determined. Events of cis-splicing have been documented to occur during the maturation of the transcripts derived from genes LDHU3_07.0430 and LDHU3_29.3990. The complete genome assembly and the availability of the gene models (including annotation of untranslated regions) are important pieces to understand how differential gene expression occurs in this pathogen, and to decipher phenotypic peculiarities like tissue tropism, clinical disease, and drug susceptibility.
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19
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Fidalgo LM. Essential Oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides as a Promising Antileishmanial Agent. Nat Prod Commun 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x0700201214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chenopodium ambrosioides has been used traditionally against parasitic diseases. The essential oil of the plant is a complex mixture of compounds with a rich structural diversity. This review focuses on recent evaluation of the essential oil from C. ambrosioides as a promising antileishmanial agent. The tested product showed activity against promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and L. donovani. An optimal dose of 30 mg/Kg was effective by intraperitoneal and oral routes in experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis. The chenopodium oil had a moderate toxicity against peritoneal macrophages of BALB/c mice and no side effects were detected in animals treated by the oral route. Isolates of L. amazonensis from treated mice were susceptible to the essential oil. Synergic effects were observed when the essential oil was incubated in conjunction with pentamidine on L. amazonensis promastigote cultures. Future studies focusing on formulation, toxicity and mechanism of action may help in the development of chenopodium oil as a new antileishmanial drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianet Monzote Fidalgo
- Departamento de Parasitología, Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Pedro Kourí”. Apartado Postal No. 601, Marianao 13, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba
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20
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Hendrickx S, Bulté D, Van den Kerkhof M, Cos P, Delputte P, Maes L, Caljon G. Immunosuppression of Syrian golden hamsters accelerates relapse but not the emergence of resistance in Leishmania infantum following recurrent miltefosine pressure. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2018; 9:1-7. [PMID: 30562667 PMCID: PMC6296292 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.12.001] [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: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although miltefosine (MIL) has only been approved for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in 2002, its application in monotherapy already led to the development of two confirmed MIL-resistant isolates by 2009. Although liposomal amphotericin B is recommended as first-line treatment in Europe, MIL is still occasionally used in HIV co-infected patients. Since their immune system is incapable of controlling the infection, high parasite burdens and post-treatment relapses are common. Linked to the particular pharmacokinetic profile of MIL, successive treatment of recurrent relapses could in principle facilitate the emergence of drug resistance. This study evaluated the effect of immunosuppression (cyclophosphamide 150 mg/kg once weekly) on the development of MIL-resistance in Syrian golden hamsters infected with Leishmania infantum. The hamsters were treated with MIL (20 mg/kg orally for 5 days) whenever clinical signs of infection or relapse were observed. The immunosuppression resulted in a significant depletion of CD4+ lymphocytes and MHCII-expressing cells in peripheral blood, and a concomitant increase in tissue parasite burdens and shorter time to relapse, but the strain's susceptibility upon repeated MIL exposure remained unaltered. This study demonstrates that immunosuppression accelerates the occurrence of relapse without expediting MIL resistance development.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - D Bulté
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - M Van den Kerkhof
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - P Cos
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - P Delputte
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - L Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - G Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Lipase Precursor-Like Protein Promotes Miltefosine Tolerance in Leishmania donovani by Enhancing Parasite Infectivity and Eliciting Anti-inflammatory Responses in Host Macrophages. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.00666-18. [PMID: 30297367 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00666-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The oral drug miltefosine (MIL) was introduced in the Indian subcontinent in the year 2002 for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). However, recent reports on its declining efficacy and increasing relapse rates pose a serious concern. An understanding of the factors contributing to MIL tolerance in Leishmania parasites is critical. In the present study, we assessed the role of the lipase precursor-like protein (Lip) in conferring tolerance to miltefosine by episomally overexpressing Lip in Leishmania donovani (LdLip++). We observed a significant increase (∼3-fold) in the MIL 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) at both the promastigote (3.90 ± 0.68 µM; P < 0.05) and intracellular amastigote (9.10 ± 0.60 µM; P < 0.05) stages compared to the wild-type counterpart (LdNeo) (MIL IC50s of 1.49 ± 0.20 µM at the promastigote stage and 3.95 ± 0.45 µM at the amastigote stage). LdLip++ parasites exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) increased infectivity to host macrophages and increased metacyclogenesis and tolerance to MIL-induced oxidative stress. The susceptibility of LdLip++ to other antileishmanial drugs (sodium antimony gluconate and amphotericin B) remained unchanged. In comparison to LdNeo, the LdLip++ parasites elicited high host interleukin-10 (IL-10) cytokine expression levels (1.6-fold; P < 0.05) with reduced expression of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (1.5-fold; P < 0.05), leading to a significantly (P < 0.01) increased ratio of IL-10/TNF-α. The above-described findings suggest a role of lipase precursor-like protein in conferring tolerance to the oral antileishmanial drug MIL in L. donovani parasites.
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Rastrojo A, García-Hernández R, Vargas P, Camacho E, Corvo L, Imamura H, Dujardin JC, Castanys S, Aguado B, Gamarro F, Requena JM. Genomic and transcriptomic alterations in Leishmania donovani lines experimentally resistant to antileishmanial drugs. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2018; 8:246-264. [PMID: 29689531 PMCID: PMC6039315 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a serious medical issue in many countries around the World, but it remains largely neglected in terms of research investment for developing new control and treatment measures. No vaccines exist for human use, and the chemotherapeutic agents currently used are scanty. Furthermore, for some drugs, resistance and treatment failure are increasing to alarming levels. The aim of this work was to identify genomic and trancriptomic alterations associated with experimental resistance against the common drugs used against VL: trivalent antimony (SbIII, S line), amphotericin B (AmB, A line), miltefosine (MIL, M line) and paromomycin (PMM, P line). A total of 1006 differentially expressed transcripts were identified in the S line, 379 in the A line, 146 in the M line, and 129 in the P line. Also, changes in ploidy of chromosomes and amplification/deletion of particular regions were observed in the resistant lines regarding the parental one. A series of genes were identified as possible drivers of the resistance phenotype and were validated in both promastigotes and amastigotes from Leishmania donovani, Leishmania infantum and Leishmania major species. Remarkably, a deletion of the gene LinJ.36.2510 (coding for 24-sterol methyltransferase, SMT) was found to be associated with AmB-resistance in the A line. In the P line, a dramatic overexpression of the transcripts LinJ.27.T1940 and LinJ.27.T1950 that results from a massive amplification of the collinear genes was suggested as one of the mechanisms of PMM resistance. This conclusion was reinforced after transfection experiments in which significant PMM-resistance was generated in WT parasites over-expressing either gene LinJ.27.1940 (coding for a D-lactate dehydrogenase-like protein, D-LDH) or gene LinJ.27.1950 (coding for an aminotransferase of branched-chain amino acids, BCAT). This work allowed to identify new drivers, like SMT, the deletion of which being associated with resistance to AmB, and the tandem D-LDH-BCAT, the amplification of which being related to PMM resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Rastrojo
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Paola Vargas
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina ''López-Neyra'' (IPBLN-CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Esther Camacho
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Corvo
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hideo Imamura
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Santiago Castanys
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina ''López-Neyra'' (IPBLN-CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Begoña Aguado
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Gamarro
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina ''López-Neyra'' (IPBLN-CSIC), Granada, Spain.
| | - Jose M Requena
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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Ravichandran V, Mekarnia N, Pomel S, Cojean S, Ferrié L, Figadère B, Kesavan V, Loiseau PM, Jayakrishnan A. New Water-Soluble Polymeric Prodrugs of 2-n-propylquinoline: Synthesis and Evaluation of In Vitro and In Vivo Activities Against Leishmania donovani. REGENERATIVE ENGINEERING AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40883-018-0045-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Charlton RL, Rossi-Bergmann B, Denny PW, Steel PG. Repurposing as a strategy for the discovery of new anti-leishmanials: the-state-of-the-art. Parasitology 2018; 145:219-236. [PMID: 28805165 PMCID: PMC5964475 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017000993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania for which there is a paucity of effective viable non-toxic drugs. There are 1·3 million new cases each year causing considerable socio-economic hardship, best measured in 2·4 million disability adjusted life years, with greatest impact on the poorest communities, which means that desperately needed new antileishmanial treatments have to be both affordable and accessible. Established medicines with cheaper and faster development times may hold the cure for this neglected tropical disease. This concept of using old drugs for new diseases may not be novel but, with the ambitious target of controlling or eradicating tropical diseases by 2020, this strategy is still an important one. In this review, we will explore the current state-of-the-art of drug repurposing strategies in the search for new treatments for leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Charlton
- Department of Chemistry,University Science Laboratories,South Road,Durham DH1 3LE,UK
| | - Bartira Rossi-Bergmann
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho,Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,Ilha do Fundão,CEP 21·949-900 Rio de Janeiro,RJ,Brazil
| | - Paul W Denny
- Department of Biosciences,University Science Laboratories,South Road,Durham DH1 3LE,UK
| | - Patrick G Steel
- Department of Chemistry,University Science Laboratories,South Road,Durham DH1 3LE,UK
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Borsari C, Quotadamo A, Ferrari S, Venturelli A, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Santarem N, Costi MP. Scaffolds and Biological Targets Avenue to Fight Against Drug Resistance in Leishmaniasis. ANNUAL REPORTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.armc.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Ponte-Sucre A, Gamarro F, Dujardin JC, Barrett MP, López-Vélez R, García-Hernández R, Pountain AW, Mwenechanya R, Papadopoulou B. Drug resistance and treatment failure in leishmaniasis: A 21st century challenge. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0006052. [PMID: 29240765 PMCID: PMC5730103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 510] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reevaluation of treatment guidelines for Old and New World leishmaniasis is urgently needed on a global basis because treatment failure is an increasing problem. Drug resistance is a fundamental determinant of treatment failure, although other factors also contribute to this phenomenon, including the global HIV/AIDS epidemic with its accompanying impact on the immune system. Pentavalent antimonials have been used successfully worldwide for the treatment of leishmaniasis since the first half of the 20th century, but the last 10 to 20 years have witnessed an increase in clinical resistance, e.g., in North Bihar in India. In this review, we discuss the meaning of “resistance” related to leishmaniasis and discuss its molecular epidemiology, particularly for Leishmania donovani that causes visceral leishmaniasis. We also discuss how resistance can affect drug combination therapies. Molecular mechanisms known to contribute to resistance to antimonials, amphotericin B, and miltefosine are also outlined. Chemotherapy is central to the control and management of leishmaniasis. Antimonials remain the primary drugs against different forms of leishmaniasis in several regions. However, resistance to antimony has necessitated the use of alternative medications, especially in the Indian subcontinent (ISC). Compounds, notably the orally available miltefosine (MIL), parenteral paromomycin, and amphotericin B (AmB), are increasingly used to treat leishmaniasis. Although treatment failure (TF) has been observed in patients treated with most anti-leishmanials, its frequency of appearance may be important in patients treated with MIL, which has replaced antimonials within the kala-azar elimination program in the ISC. AmB is highly efficacious, and the associated toxic effects—when administered in its free deoxycholate form—are somewhat ameliorated in its liposomal formulation. Regrettably, laboratory experimentation has demonstrated a risk of resistance towards AmB as well. The rise of drug resistance impacts treatment outcome, and understanding its causes, spread, and impact will help us manage the risks it imposes. Here, we review the problem of TF in leishmaniasis and the contribution of drug resistance to the problem. Molecular mechanisms causing resistance to anti-leishmanials are discussed along with the appropriate use of additional available drugs, as well as the urgent need to consolidate strategies to monitor drug efficacy, epidemiological surveillance, and local policies. Coordination of these activities in national and international programs against leishmaniasis might represent a successful guide to further research and prevention activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Ponte-Sucre
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Luis Razetti School of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- * E-mail: (BP); (APS)
| | - Francisco Gamarro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Spanish National Research Council (IPBLN-CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Rogelio López-Vélez
- Department of Infectious Diseases, National Referral Unit for Tropical Diseases, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel García-Hernández
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Spanish National Research Council (IPBLN-CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Andrew W. Pountain
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Roy Mwenechanya
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Barbara Papadopoulou
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases, CHU de Quebec Research Center and Department of Microbiology-Infectious Disease and Immunology, University Laval, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail: (BP); (APS)
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Sarwar HS, Akhtar S, Sohail MF, Naveed Z, Rafay M, Nadhman A, Yasinzai M, Shahnaz G. Redox biology of Leishmania and macrophage targeted nanoparticles for therapy. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2017. [DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2017-0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Intramacrophage parasite ‘Leishmania’ has developed various mechanisms for proficient uptake into macrophages and phagosome regulation to avoid macrophage's oxidative burst induced by peroxide, hydroxyl radical, hypochlorous acid and peroxynitrite production. One major barrier for impairing the accession of old fashioned anti-Leishmanial drugs is intrinsic incapability to pass through cell membranes and limiting their abilities to ultimately destroy intracellular pathogens. Receptor-mediated targeted drug delivery to the macrophages by using nanoparticles emerges as promising strategy to improve therapeutic efficacy of old-fashioned drug. Receptor-mediated targeted nanoparticles can migrate across the cell membrane barriers and release enclosed drug cargo at sites of infection. This review is focusing on Leishmania-macrophage signaling alterations, its association with drug resistance and role of nanoparticles for receptor mediated macrophage targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sohail Akhtar
- Department of Entomology, University College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, The Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Farhan Sohail
- Department of Pharmacy, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 0213, USA
- Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore Campus, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Zaeema Naveed
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Muhammad Rafay
- Department of Forestry, Range & Wild Life Management, University College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, The Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Akhtar Nadhman
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Masoom Yasinzai
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Gul Shahnaz
- Department of Pharmacy, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
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Antileishmanial activity and tubulin polymerization inhibition of podophyllotoxin derivatives on Leishmania infantum. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2017; 7:272-285. [PMID: 28719882 PMCID: PMC5512185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania microtubules play an important role not only in cell division, but also in keeping the shape of the parasite and motility of its free-living stages. Microtubules result from the self-assembly of alpha and beta tubulins, two phylogenetically conserved and very abundant eukaryotic proteins in kinetoplastids. The colchicine binding domain has inspired the discovery and development of several drugs currently in clinical use against parasites. However, this domain is less conserved in kinetoplastids and may be selectively targeted by new compounds. This report shows the antileishmanial effect of several series of compounds (53), derived from podophyllotoxin (a natural cyclolignan isolated from rhizomes of Podophyllum spp.) and podophyllic aldehyde, on a transgenic, fluorescence-emitting strain of Leishmania infantum. These compounds were tested on both promastigotes and amastigote-infected mouse splenocytes, and in mammalian – mouse non-infected splenocytes and liver HepG2 cells – in order to determine selective indexes of the drugs. Results obtained with podophyllotoxin derivatives showed that the hydroxyl group at position C-7α was a structural requisite to kill the parasites. On regards podophyllic aldehyde, derivatives with C9-aldehyde group integrated into a bicyclic heterostructure displayed more potent antileishmanial effects and were relatively safe for host cells. Docking studies of podophyllotoxin and podophyllic aldehyde derivatives showed that these compounds share a similar pattern of interaction at the colchicine site of Leishmania tubulin, thus pointing to a common mechanism of action. However, the results obtained suggested that despite tubulin is a remarkable target against leishmaniasis, there is a poor correlation between inhibition of tubulin polymerization and antileishmanial effect of many of the compounds tested, fact that points to alternative pathways to kill the parasites.
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Increased miltefosine tolerance in clinical isolates of Leishmania donovani is associated with reduced drug accumulation, increased infectivity and resistance to oxidative stress. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005641. [PMID: 28575060 PMCID: PMC5470736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Miltefosine (MIL) is an oral antileishmanial drug used for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Indian subcontinent. Recent reports indicate a significant decline in its efficacy with a high rate of relapse in VL as well as post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). We investigated the parasitic factors apparently involved in miltefosine unresponsiveness in clinical isolates of Leishmania donovani. Methodology L. donovani isolated from patients of VL and PKDL at pretreatment stage (LdPreTx, n = 9), patients that relapsed after MIL treatment (LdRelapse, n = 7) and parasites made experimentally resistant to MIL (LdM30) were included in this study. MIL uptake was estimated using liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry. Reactive oxygen species and intracellular thiol content were measured fluorometrically. Q-PCR was used to assess the differential expression of genes associated with MIL resistance. Results LdRelapse parasites exhibited higher IC50 both at promastigote level (7.92 ± 1.30 μM) and at intracellular amastigote level (11.35 ± 6.48 μM) when compared with LdPreTx parasites (3.27 ± 1.52 μM) and (3.85 ± 3.11 μM), respectively. The percent infectivity (72 hrs post infection) of LdRelapse parasites was significantly higher (80.71 ± 5.67%, P<0.001) in comparison to LdPreTx (60.44 ± 2.80%). MIL accumulation was significantly lower in LdRelapse parasites (1.7 fold, P<0.001) and in LdM30 parasites (2.4 fold, P<0.001) when compared with LdPreTx parasites. MIL induced ROS levels were significantly lower (p<0.05) in macrophages infected with LdRelapse while intracellular thiol content were significantly higher in LdRelapse compared to LdPreTx, indicating a better tolerance for oxidative stress in LdRelapse isolates. Genes associated with oxidative stress, metabolic processes and transporters showed modulated expression in LdRelapse and LdM30 parasites in comparison with LdPreTx parasites. Conclusion The present study highlights the parasitic factors and pathways responsible for miltefosine unresponsiveness in VL and PKDL. Increasing rate of relapse against miltefosine (MIL) and decline in its efficacy prompted us to study the parasitic factors associated with MIL unresponsiveness in clinical isolates of Leishmania donovani. Studies to explore the mechanism of MIL resistance in L. donovani are largely restricted to experimentally induced resistant parasites. In the present study, parasites isolated from MIL treated patients that relapsed (LdRelapse) were found to exhibit increased metacyclogenesis and infectivity to macrophages, decreased miltefosine accumulation and increased tolerance towards MIL induced oxidative stress in comparison to isolates from pretreatment cases (LdPreTx). Reduction in drug accumulation and increase in intracellular thiol content as well as tolerance to MIL induced oxidative stress were the highest in experimentally induced MIL resistant parasites (LdM30). Both LdRelapse and LdM30 parasites showed differential expression of genes associated with oxidative stress, metabolic processes and transport activity in comparison with LdPreTx parasites. The present study revealed that the parasites isolated from the cases that relapsed exhibited high infectivity, increased metacyclogenesis, reduced drug accumulation and reconfigured metabolism to overcome the oxidative stress induced during MIL exposure. These factors may be contributing to the high relapse rate observed in MIL treated VL and PKDL patients.
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Srivastava S, Mishra J, Gupta AK, Singh A, Shankar P, Singh S. Laboratory confirmed miltefosine resistant cases of visceral leishmaniasis from India. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:49. [PMID: 28137296 PMCID: PMC5282768 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-1969-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Miltefosine unresponsive and relapse cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are increasingly being reported. However, there has been no laboratory confirmed reports of miltefosine resistance in VL. Here, we report two laboratory confirmed cases of VL from India. METHODS Two patients with VL were referred to us with suspected VL. The first patient was a native of the VL endemic state of Bihar, but residing in Delhi, a VL non-endemic area. He was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and antipyretics but was unresponsive to treatment. The second patient was from Jharkhand state in eastern India (adjoining Bihar), another endemic state for VL. He was refractory to anti-leishmanial treatment, which included administration of miltefosine. Following investigation, both patients were serologically positive for VL, and blood buffy coat from both patients grew Leishmania donovani. The isolates derived from both cases were characterized for their drug susceptibility, genetically characterised, and SNPs typed for LdMT and LdROS gene expression. Both patients were successfully treated with amphotericin B. RESULTS The in vitro drug susceptibility assays carried out on both isolates showed good IC50 values to amphotericin B (0.1 ± 0.0004 μg/ml and 0.07 ± 0.0019 μg/ml). One isolate was refractory to SbIII with an IC50 of > 200 μM while the second isolate was sensitive to SbIII with an IC50 of 36.70 ± 3.2 μM. However, in both the isolates, IC50 against miltefosine was more than 10-fold higher (> 100 μM) than the standard strain DD8 (6.8 ± 0.1181 μM). Furthermore, genetic analyses demonstrated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (354Tyr↔Phe and 1078Phe↔Tyr) in the LdMT gene of the parasites. CONCLUSIONS Here, we document two laboratory confirmed cases of miltefosine resistant VL from India. Our finding highlights the urgent need to establish control measures to prevent the spread of these strains. We also propose that LdMT gene mutation analysis could be used as a molecular marker of miltefosine resistance in L. donovani.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Srivastava
- 0000 0004 1767 6103grid.413618.9Division of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Jyotsna Mishra
- 0000 0004 1767 6103grid.413618.9Division of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Anil Kumar Gupta
- 0000 0004 1767 6103grid.413618.9Division of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Amit Singh
- 0000 0004 1767 6103grid.413618.9Division of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Prem Shankar
- 0000 0004 1767 6103grid.413618.9Division of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sarman Singh
- 0000 0004 1767 6103grid.413618.9Division of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Abstract
Cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis are amongst the most devastating infectious diseases of our time, affecting millions of people worldwide. The treatment of these serious diseases rely on a few chemotherapeutic agents, most of which are of parenteral use and induce severe side-effects. Furthermore, rates of treatment failure are high and have been linked to drug resistance in some areas. Here, we reviewed data on current chemotherapy practice in leishmaniasis. Drug resistance and mechanisms of resistance are described as well as the prospects for applying drug combinations for leishmaniasis chemotherapy. It is clear that efforts for discovering new drugs applicable to leishmaniasis chemotherapy are essential. The main aspects on the various steps of drug discovery in the field are discussed.
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Hefnawy A, Berg M, Dujardin JC, De Muylder G. Exploiting Knowledge on Leishmania Drug Resistance to Support the Quest for New Drugs. Trends Parasitol 2016; 33:162-174. [PMID: 27993477 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
New drugs are needed to control leishmaniasis and efforts are currently on-going to counter the neglect of this disease. We discuss here the utility and the impact of associating drug resistance (DR) studies to drug discovery pipelines. We use as paradigm currently used drugs, antimonials and miltefosine, and complement our reflection by interviewing three experts in the field. We suggest DR studies to be involved at two different stages of drug development: (i) the efficiency of novel compounds should be confirmed on sets of strains including recent clinical isolates with DR; (ii) experimental DR should be generated to promising compounds at an early stage of their development, to further optimize them and monitor clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Hefnawy
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Maya Berg
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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Vacchina P, Norris-Mullins B, Carlson ES, Morales MA. A mitochondrial HSP70 (HSPA9B) is linked to miltefosine resistance and stress response in Leishmania donovani. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:621. [PMID: 27906059 PMCID: PMC5133764 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1904-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania are responsible for leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease affecting millions worldwide. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by Leishmania donovani, is the most severe form of leishmaniasis with high rates of mortality if left untreated. Current treatments include pentavalent antimonials and amphotericin B. However, high toxicity and emergence of resistance hinder the success of these options. Miltefosine (HePC) is the first oral treatment available for leishmaniasis. While treatment with HePC has proven effective, higher tolerance to the drug has been observed, and experimental resistance is easily developed in an in vitro environment. Several studies, including ours, have revealed that HePC resistance has a multi-factorial origin and this work aims to shed light on this complex mechanism. Methods 2D-DIGE quantitative proteomics comparing the soluble proteomes of sensitive and HePC resistant L. donovani lines identified a protein of interest tentatively involved in drug resistance. To test this link, we employed a gain-of-function approach followed by mutagenesis analysis. Functional studies were complemented with flow cytometry to measure HePC incorporation and cell death. Results We identified a mitochondrial HSP70 (HSPA9B) downregulated in HePC-resistant L. donovani promastigotes. The overexpression of HSPA9B in WT lines confers an increased sensitivity to HePC, regardless of whether the expression is ectopic or integrative. Moreover, the increased sensitivity to HePC is specific to the HSPA9B overexpression since dominant negative mutant lines were able to restore HePC susceptibility to WT values. Interestingly, the augmented susceptibility to HePC did not correlate with an increased HePC uptake. Leishmania donovani promastigotes overexpressing HSPA9B were subjected to different environmental stimuli. Our data suggest that HSPA9B is capable of protecting cells from stressful conditions such as low pH and high temperature. This phenotype was further corroborated in axenic amastigotes overexpressing HSPA9B. Conclusions The results from this study provide evidence to support the involvement of a mitochondrial HSP70 (HSPA9B) in experimental HePC resistance, a mechanism that is not yet fully understood, and reveal potential fundamental roles of HSPA9B in the biology of Leishmania. Overall, our findings are relevant for current and future antileishmanial chemotherapy strategies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1904-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Vacchina
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - B Norris-Mullins
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - E S Carlson
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - M A Morales
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
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Abstract
For decades antimonials were the drugs of choice for the treatment of visceral
leishmaniasis (VL), but the recent emergence of resistance has made them redundant as
first-line therapy in the endemic VL region in the Indian subcontinent. The application of
other drugs has been limited due to adverse effects, perceived high cost, need for
parenteral administration and increasing rate of treatment failures. Liposomal
amphotericin B (AmB) and miltefosine (MIL) have been positioned as the effective
first-line treatments; however, the number of monotherapy MIL-failures has increased after
a decade of use. Since no validated molecular resistance markers are yet available,
monitoring and surveillance of changes in drug sensitivity and resistance still depends on
standard phenotypic in vitro promastigote or amastigote susceptibility
assays. Clinical isolates displaying defined MIL- or AmB-resistance are still fairly
scarce and fundamental and applied research on resistance mechanisms and dynamics remains
largely dependent on laboratory-generated drug resistant strains. This review addresses
the various challenges associated with drug susceptibility and -resistance monitoring in
VL, with particular emphasis on the choice of strains, susceptibility model selection and
standardization of procedures with specific read-out parameters and well-defined threshold
criteria. The latter are essential to support surveillance systems and safeguard the
limited number of currently available antileishmanial drugs.
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da Gama Bitencourt JJ, Pazin WM, Ito AS, Barioni MB, de Paula Pinto C, Santos MAD, Guimarães THS, Santos MRMD, Valduga CJ. Miltefosine-loaded lipid nanoparticles: Improving miltefosine stability and reducing its hemolytic potential toward erythtocytes and its cytotoxic effect on macrophages. Biophys Chem 2016; 217:20-31. [PMID: 27497059 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2016.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The toxic effects of miltefosine on the epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract and its hemolytic action on erythrocytes have limited its use as an antileishmanial agent. As part of our search for new strategies to overcome the side effects of miltefosine during the treatment of leishmaniasis, we have developed stable miltefosine-loaded lipid nanoparticles in an attempt to reduce the toxic effects of the drug. We have evaluated lipid nanoparticles containing varying amounts of miltefosine and cholesterol, prepared by sonication, in terms of their physicochemical properties, preliminary stability, hemolytic potential toward erythrocytes, and cytotoxicity to macrophages and to promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania (L.) chagasi. Miltefosine loading into lipid nanoparticles was 100% for low drug concentrations (7.0 to 20.0mg/mL). Particle size decreased from 143nm (control) to between 43 and 69nm. From fluorescence studies, it was observed that the presence of miltefosine and cholesterol (below 103μM) promoted ordering effects in the phospholipid region of the nanoparticles. The formulation containing 15mg/mL miltefosine was stable for at least six months at 4°C and in simulated gastrointestinal fluids, and did not promote epithelial gastrointestinal irritability in Balb/C mice. When loaded into lipid nanoparticles, the hemolytic potential of miltefosine and its cytotoxicity to macrophages diminished, while its antiparasitic activity remained unaltered. The results suggested that miltefosine-loaded lipid nanoparticles may be promising for the treatment of leishmaniasis and might be suitable for oral and parenteral use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wallance Moreira Pazin
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo
| | - Amando Siuiti Ito
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo.
| | - Marina Berardi Barioni
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo
| | - Carolline de Paula Pinto
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Anhanguera, University of São Paulo (UNIAN-SP), Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Claudete Justina Valduga
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Anhanguera, University of São Paulo (UNIAN-SP), Brazil.
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Abstract
Eukaryotic microbial pathogens are major contributors to illness and death globally. Although much of their impact can be controlled by drug therapy as with prokaryotic microorganisms, the emergence of drug resistance has threatened these treatment efforts. Here, we discuss the challenges posed by eukaryotic microbial pathogens and how these are similar to, or differ from, the challenges of prokaryotic antibiotic resistance. The therapies used for several major eukaryotic microorganisms are then detailed, and the mechanisms that they have evolved to overcome these therapies are described. The rapid emergence of resistance and the restricted pipeline of new drug therapies pose considerable risks to global health and are particularly acute in the developing world. Nonetheless, we detail how the integration of new technology, biological understanding, epidemiology and evolutionary analysis can help sustain existing therapies, anticipate the emergence of resistance or optimize the deployment of new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan H. Fairlamb
- Dundee Drug Discovery Unit, Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Neil A. R. Gow
- Aberdeen Fungal Group, Wellcome Trust Strategic Award in Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Keith R. Matthews
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Andrew P. Waters
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical and Veterinary Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
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Genomic Appraisal of the Multifactorial Basis for In Vitro Acquisition of Miltefosine Resistance in Leishmania donovani. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:4089-100. [PMID: 27114280 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00478-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoan parasites of the Leishmania donovani complex are the causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the most severe form of leishmaniasis, with high rates of mortality if left untreated. Leishmania parasites are transmitted to humans through the bite of infected female sandflies (Diptera: Phlebotominae), and approximately 500,000 new cases of VL are reported each year. In the absence of a safe human vaccine, chemotherapy, along with vector control, is the sole tool with which to fight the disease. Miltefosine (hexadecylphosphatidylcholine [HePC]), an antitumoral drug, is the only successful oral treatment for VL. In the current study, we describe the phenotypic traits of L. donovani clonal lines that have acquired resistance to HePC. We performed whole-genome and RNA sequencing of these resistant lines to provide an inclusive overview of the multifactorial acquisition of experimental HePC resistance, circumventing the challenge of identifying changes in membrane-bound proteins faced by proteomics. This analysis was complemented by assessment of the in vitro infectivity of HePC-resistant parasites. Our work underscores the importance of complementary "omics" to acquire the most comprehensive insight for multifaceted processes, such as HePC resistance.
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Khan I, Khan M, Umar MN, Oh DH. Attenuation and Production of the Amphotericin B-Resistant Leishmania tropica Strain. Jundishapur J Microbiol 2016; 9:e32159. [PMID: 27630762 PMCID: PMC5011406 DOI: 10.5812/jjm.32159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Infections caused by Leishmania are becoming major public health problems on a global scale. Many species of Leishmania around the world are obtaining resistance levels of up to 15 folds, as estimated by the World Health Organization. Leishmania showing resistance is relatively difficult to observe and maintain in laboratory settings. Objectives The current study deals with the generation of Leishmania tropica strains that are resistant to amphotericin B (amp B). Materials and Methods The L. tropica strain was attenuated using continuous passaging 20 times. The infectivity of L. tropica was confirmed in BALB/c mice. The L. tropica resistant strain was produced in vitro using a continuous increase in drug pressure. The cross resistance of L. tropica to other drugs was also investigated. Results After 20 continuous passages, the BALB/c mice tested negative in the development of leishmaniasis. At a concentration of 0.1 µg/mL, L. tropica showed resistance to amp B. The newly developed promastigotes were 16 times more resistant compared to the resistance of the wild type promastigotes. The resistant L. tropica strain showed cross resistance to itraconazole and had a resistance index that was greater than five. The resistant strain displayed maximum stability for more than three months in the drug-free medium. Conclusions The resistant strain of L. tropica can be produced in laboratories using continuous drug pressure. The attenuated resistant strain has significant implications (both medically and academically) in the ability to overcome resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Khan
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabd, Pakistan
| | - Momin Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabd, Pakistan
| | | | - Deog-Hwan Oh
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
- Corresponding author: Deog-Hwan Oh, Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea. Tel: +82-332506457, Fax: +82-332506457, E-mail:
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Trinconi CT, Reimão JQ, Coelho AC, Uliana SRB. Efficacy of tamoxifen and miltefosine combined therapy for cutaneous leishmaniasis in the murine model of infection withLeishmania amazonensis. J Antimicrob Chemother 2016; 71:1314-22. [DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkv495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Balaraman K, Vieira NC, Moussa F, Vacus J, Cojean S, Pomel S, Bories C, Figadère B, Kesavan V, Loiseau PM. In vitro and in vivo antileishmanial properties of a 2- n -propylquinoline hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin formulation and pharmacokinetics via intravenous route. Biomed Pharmacother 2015; 76:127-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2015.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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In Vitro Activity of Miltefosine against Candida albicans under Planktonic and Biofilm Growth Conditions and In Vivo Efficacy in a Murine Model of Oral Candidiasis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 59:7611-20. [PMID: 26416861 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01890-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The generation of a new antifungal against Candida albicans biofilms has become a major priority, since biofilm formation by this opportunistic pathogenic fungus is usually associated with an increased resistance to azole antifungal drugs and treatment failures. Miltefosine is an alkyl phospholipid with promising antifungal activity. Here, we report that, when tested under planktonic conditions, miltefosine displays potent in vitro activity against multiple fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant C. albicans clinical isolates, including isolates overexpressing efflux pumps and/or with well-characterized Erg11 mutations. Moreover, miltefosine inhibits C. albicans biofilm formation and displays activity against preformed biofilms. Serial passage experiments confirmed that miltefosine has a reduced potential to elicit resistance, and screening of a library of C. albicans transcription factor mutants provided additional insight into the activity of miltefosine against C. albicans growing under planktonic and biofilm conditions. Finally, we demonstrate the in vivo efficacy of topical treatment with miltefosine in the murine model of oropharyngeal candidiasis. Overall, our results confirm the potential of miltefosine as a promising antifungal drug candidate, in particular for the treatment of azole-resistant and biofilm-associated superficial candidiasis.
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Novel Agents against Miltefosine-Unresponsive Leishmania donovani. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 59:7826-9. [PMID: 26392497 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00928-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis is a deadly endemic disease. Unresponsiveness to the only available oral drug miltefosine poses a big challenge for the chemotherapy of the disease. We report a novel molecule, PS-203 {4-(4,4,8-trimethyl-7-oxo-3-oxabicyclo[3.3.1]non-2-yl)-benzoic acid methyl ester}, as effective against a miltefosine-unresponsive strain of the parasite. Further, combinations of PS-203 with miltefosine were also evaluated and showed promising results against a miltefosine-unresponsive strain.
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Turner KG, Vacchina P, Robles-Murguia M, Wadsworth M, McDowell MA, Morales MA. Fitness and Phenotypic Characterization of Miltefosine-Resistant Leishmania major. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003948. [PMID: 26230675 PMCID: PMC4521777 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatid parasites of the genus Leishmania are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease with several clinical manifestations. Leishmania major is the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), which is largely characterized by ulcerative lesions appearing on the skin. Current treatments of leishmaniasis include pentavalent antimonials and amphotericin B, however, the toxic side effects of these drugs and difficulty with distribution makes these options less than ideal. Miltefosine (MIL) is the first oral treatment available for leishmaniasis. Originally developed for cancer chemotherapy, the mechanism of action of MIL in Leishmania spp. is largely unknown. While treatment with MIL has proven effective, higher tolerance to the drug has been observed, and resistance is easily developed in an in vitro environment. Utilizing stepwise selection we generated MIL-resistant cultures of L. major and characterized the fitness of MIL-resistant L. major. Resistant parasites proliferate at a comparable rate to the wild-type (WT) and exhibit similar apoptotic responses. As expected, MIL-resistant parasites demonstrate decreased susceptibility to MIL, which reduces after the drug is withdrawn from culture. Our data demonstrate metacyclogenesis is elevated in MIL-resistant L. major, albeit these parasites display attenuated in vitro and in vivo virulence and standard survival rates in the natural sandfly vector, indicating that development of experimental resistance to miltefosine does not lead to an increased competitive fitness in L. major.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimbra G. Turner
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Paola Vacchina
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Maricela Robles-Murguia
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Mariha Wadsworth
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Mary Ann McDowell
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Miguel A. Morales
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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44
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In Vivo Selection of Paromomycin and Miltefosine Resistance in Leishmania donovani and L. infantum in a Syrian Hamster Model. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 59:4714-8. [PMID: 26014955 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00707-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2002 and 2006, respectively, miltefosine (MIL) and paromomycin (PMM) were licensed in the Indian subcontinent for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis; however, their future routine use might become jeopardized by the development of drug resistance. Although experimental selection of resistant strains in vitro has repeatedly been reported using the less relevant promastigote vector stage, the outcome of resistance selection on intracellular amastigotes was reported to be protocol and species dependent. To corroborate these in vitro findings, selection of resistance in Leishmania donovani and Leishmania infantum was achieved by successive treatment/relapse cycles in infected Syrian golden hamsters. For PMM, resistant amastigotes were already obtained within 3 treatment/relapse cycles, while their promastigotes retained full susceptibility, thereby sharing the same phenotypic characteristics as in vitro-generated PMM-resistant strains. For MIL, even five treatment/relapse cycles failed to induce significant susceptibility changes in either species, which also corresponds with the in vitro observations where selection of an MIL-resistant phenotype proved to be quite challenging. In conclusion, these results argue for cautious use of PMM in the field to avoid rapid emergence of primary resistance and highlight the need for additional research on the mechanisms and dynamics of MIL resistance selection.
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Sánchez-Fernández EM, Gómez-Pérez V, García-Hernández R, García Fernández JM, Plata GB, Padrón JM, Ortiz Mellet C, Castanys S, Gamarro F. Antileishmanial activity of sp2-iminosugar derivatives. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra02627j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
sp2-iminosugar S-linked pseudoglycosides selectively inhibit growth of the intracellular form of Leishmania donovani.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Verónica Gómez-Pérez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra”
- IPBLN-CSIC
- Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud
- 18016-Granada
- Spain
| | - Raquel García-Hernández
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra”
- IPBLN-CSIC
- Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud
- 18016-Granada
- Spain
| | | | - Gabriela B. Plata
- BioLab
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica “Antonio González”
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Canarias
- Universidad de La Laguna
- La Laguna
| | - José M. Padrón
- BioLab
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica “Antonio González”
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Canarias
- Universidad de La Laguna
- La Laguna
| | - Carmen Ortiz Mellet
- Departamento de Química Orgánica
- Facultad de Química
- Universidad de Sevilla
- Spain
| | - Santiago Castanys
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra”
- IPBLN-CSIC
- Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud
- 18016-Granada
- Spain
| | - Francisco Gamarro
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra”
- IPBLN-CSIC
- Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la Salud
- 18016-Granada
- Spain
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From Bench to Bedside: Natural Products and Analogs for the Treatment of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). STUDIES IN NATURAL PRODUCTS CHEMISTRY 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63460-3.00002-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Hussain H, Al-Harrasi A, Al-Rawahi A, Green IR, Gibbons S. Fruitful decade for antileishmanial compounds from 2002 to late 2011. Chem Rev 2014; 114:10369-428. [PMID: 25253511 DOI: 10.1021/cr400552x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hidayat Hussain
- UoN Chair of Oman's Medicinal Plants and Marine Natural Products, University of Nizwa , P.O. Box 33, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa 616, Sultanate of Oman
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Mohapatra S. Drug resistance in leishmaniasis: Newer developments. Trop Parasitol 2014; 4:4-9. [PMID: 24754020 PMCID: PMC3992802 DOI: 10.4103/2229-5070.129142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector borne protozoan disease and it remains a major public health problem world-wide. Lack of an effective vaccine and vector control program makes the chemotherapy as the primary tool for leishmaniasis. Antimonials were used as the first line of treatment for many years. Emergence of resistance against this drug has become a major concern. Literatures and studies published on anti-leishmanial drug resistance, newer drug discovery for leishmanial resistance etc., in PubMed, Medline and Google search and reviewed thoroughly. Various newer drugs have been identified but, are in limited use because of high cost, toxicity, resistance etc., Recently, many newer mechanisms of drug resistance have been identified which may boost in future designing and development of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarita Mohapatra
- Department of Microbiology, Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India
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Canuto GAB, Castilho-Martins EA, Tavares MFM, Rivas L, Barbas C, López-Gonzálvez Á. Multi-analytical platform metabolomic approach to study miltefosine mechanism of action and resistance in Leishmania. Anal Bioanal Chem 2014; 406:3459-76. [PMID: 24722876 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-014-7772-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Miltefosine (MT) (hexadecylphosphocholine) was implemented to cope with resistance against antimonials, the classical treatment in Leishmaniasis. Given the scarcity of anti- Leishmania (L) drugs and the increasing appearance of resistance, there is an obvious need for understanding the mechanism of action and development of such resistance. Metabolomics is an increasingly popular tool in the life sciences due to it being a relatively fast and accurate technique that can be applied either with a particular focus or in a global manner to reveal new knowledge about biological systems. Three analytical platforms, gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) have been coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) to obtain a broad picture of metabolic changes in the parasite. Impairment of the polyamine metabolism from arginine (Arg) to trypanothione in susceptible parasites treated with MT was in some way expected, considering the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production described for MT. Importantly, in resistant parasites an increase in the levels of amino acids was the most outstanding feature, probably related to the adaptation of the resistant strain for its survival inside the parasitophorous vacuole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisele A B Canuto
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Unidad Metabolómica, Interacciones y Bioanálisis (UMIB), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad CEU San Pablo, Campus Monteprincipe, Boadilla del Monte, 28668, Madrid, Spain
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Chowdhury S, Mukhopadhyay R, Saha S, Mishra A, Sengupta S, Roy S, Majumder HK. Flavone-resistant Leishmania donovani overexpresses LdMRP2 transporter in the parasite and activates host MRP2 on macrophages to circumvent the flavone-mediated cell death. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:16129-47. [PMID: 24706751 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.539742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In parasites, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters represent an important family of proteins related to drug resistance and other biological activities. Resistance of leishmanial parasites to therapeutic drugs continues to escalate in developing countries, and in many instances, it is due to overexpressed ABC efflux pumps. Progressively adapted baicalein (BLN)-resistant parasites (pB(25)R) show overexpression of a novel ABC transporter, which was classified as ABCC2 or Leishmania donovani multidrug resistance protein 2 (LdMRP2). The protein is primarily localized in the flagellar pocket region and in internal vesicles. Overexpressed LdABCC2 confers substantial BLN resistance to the parasites by rapid drug efflux. The BLN-resistant promastigotes when transformed into amastigotes in macrophage cells cannot be cured by treatment of macrophages with BLN. Amastigote resistance is concomitant with the overexpression of macrophage MRP2 transporter. Reporter analysis and site-directed mutagenesis assays demonstrated that antioxidant response element 1 is activated upon infection. The expression of this phase II detoxifying gene is regulated by NFE2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated antioxidant response element activation. In view of the fact that the signaling pathway of phosphoinositol 3-kinase controls microfilament rearrangement and translocation of actin-associated proteins, the current study correlates with the intricate pathway of phosphoinositol 3-kinase-mediated nuclear translocation of Nrf2, which activates MRP2 expression in macrophages upon infection by the parasites. In contrast, phalloidin, an agent that prevents depolymerization of actin filaments, inhibits Nrf2 translocation and Mrp2 gene activation by pB(25)R infection. Taken together, these results provide insight into the mechanisms by which resistant clinical isolates of L. donovani induce intracellular events relevant to drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rupkatha Mukhopadhyay
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India and
| | - Sourav Saha
- From the Molecular Parasitology Laboratory and
| | | | - Souvik Sengupta
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Physical Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Sciences, 2A and 2B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Syamal Roy
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India and
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