1
|
Lobo L, Cabral LIL, Sena MI, Guerreiro B, Rodrigues AS, de Andrade-Neto VF, Cristiano MLS, Nogueira F. New endoperoxides highly active in vivo and in vitro against artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. Malar J 2018; 17:145. [PMID: 29615130 PMCID: PMC5883364 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-018-2281-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy in Southeast Asia prompted the need to develop new endoperoxide-type drugs. METHODS A chemically diverse library of endoperoxides was designed and synthesized. The compounds were screened for in vitro and in vivo anti-malarial activity using, respectively, the SYBR Green I assay and a mouse model. Ring survival and mature stage survival assays were performed against artemisinin-resistant and artemisinin-sensitive P. falciparum strains. Cytotoxicity was evaluated against mammalian cell lines V79 and HepG2, using the MTT assay. RESULTS The synthesis and anti-malarial activity of 21 new endoperoxide-derived compounds is reported, where the peroxide pharmacophore is part of a trioxolane (ozonide) or a tetraoxane moiety, flanked by adamantane and a substituted cyclohexyl ring. Eight compounds exhibited sub-micromolar anti-malarial activity (IC50 0.3-71.1 nM), no cross-resistance with artemisinin or quinolone derivatives and negligible cytotoxicity towards mammalian cells. From these, six produced ring stage survival < 1% against the resistant strain IPC5202 and three of them totally suppressed Plasmodium berghei parasitaemia in mice after oral administration. CONCLUSION The investigated, trioxolane-tetrazole conjugates LC131 and LC136 emerged as potential anti-malarial candidates; they show negligible toxicity towards mammalian cells, ability to kill intra-erythrocytic asexual stages of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum and capacity to totally suppress P. berghei parasitaemia in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lis Lobo
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Unidade de Ensino e Investigação de Parasitologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira no 100, 1349-008, Lisbon, Portugal.,Laboratório de Biologia da Malária e Toxoplasmose, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Lília I L Cabral
- Centre of Marine Sciences, CCMAR, Universidade do Algarve, UAlg, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.,Departmento de Química e Farmácia, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, FCT, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Maria Inês Sena
- Centre of Marine Sciences, CCMAR, Universidade do Algarve, UAlg, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Bruno Guerreiro
- Centre of Marine Sciences, CCMAR, Universidade do Algarve, UAlg, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.,Departmento de Química e Farmácia, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, FCT, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - António Sebastião Rodrigues
- Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health, Genetics, Oncology and Human Toxicology, Nova Medical School, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Valter Ferreira de Andrade-Neto
- Laboratório de Biologia da Malária e Toxoplasmose, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Maria L S Cristiano
- Centre of Marine Sciences, CCMAR, Universidade do Algarve, UAlg, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal. .,Departmento de Química e Farmácia, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, FCT, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
| | - Fatima Nogueira
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Unidade de Ensino e Investigação de Parasitologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira no 100, 1349-008, Lisbon, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|