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Intakhan N, Saeung A, Rodrigues Oliveira SM, Pereira MDL, Chanmol W. Synergistic Effects of Artesunate in Combination with Amphotericin B and Miltefosine against Leishmania infantum: Potential for Dose Reduction and Enhanced Therapeutic Strategies. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:806. [PMID: 39334981 PMCID: PMC11428804 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13090806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2024] [Revised: 08/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a tropical infectious disease caused by Leishmania parasites. The disease can be spread by the bite of an infected sand fly. Currently, five chemotherapeutic drugs are available in leishmaniasis treatment. However, these drugs exhibit toxicity and serious adverse effects on infected individuals, necessitating alternative treatment strategies. One such strategy involves using combinations of existing antileishmanial drugs. In this study, we evaluated the interaction between artesunate (AS) and three antileishmanial drugs-amphotericin B (AmB), miltefosine (MF), and paromomycin (PM) against Leishmania infantum. This evaluation marks the first time such an assessment has been conducted. The Chou-Talalay combination index method was employed to analyze the drug interaction. The findings revealed that the interaction between AS and AmB ranged from antagonistic to synergistic, while the interaction between AS and MF showed moderate to strong synergism. In contrast, the interaction between AS and PM resulted in an antagonistic interaction, which differs from the combinations with AmB or MF. This study provides valuable insights for developing novel drug regimens for leishmaniasis treatment, emphasizing the potential of AS and its combination with existing antileishmanial drugs. Further research is necessary to optimize drug combinations and minimize adverse effects, leading to more effective therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuchpicha Intakhan
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand;
- Center of Excellence Research for Melioidosis and Microorganisms, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Atiporn Saeung
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand;
| | - Sonia M. Rodrigues Oliveira
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (S.M.R.O.); (M.d.L.P.)
- HMRI—Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, NSW 2305, Australia
| | - Maria de Lourdes Pereira
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (S.M.R.O.); (M.d.L.P.)
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Wetpisit Chanmol
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand;
- Center of Excellence Research for Melioidosis and Microorganisms, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
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Francesconi V, Rizzo M, Pozzi C, Tagliazucchi L, Konchie Simo CU, Saporito G, Landi G, Mangani S, Carbone A, Schenone S, Santarém N, Tavares J, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Costi MP, Tonelli M. Identification of Innovative Folate Inhibitors Leveraging the Amino Dihydrotriazine Motif from Cycloguanil for Their Potential as Anti- Trypanosoma brucei Agents. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:2755-2774. [PMID: 38953453 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00113] [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] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Folate enzymes, namely, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and pteridine reductase (PTR1) are acknowledged targets for the development of antiparasitic agents against Trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniasis. Based on the amino dihydrotriazine motif of the drug Cycloguanil (Cyc), a known inhibitor of both folate enzymes, we have identified two novel series of inhibitors, the 2-amino triazino benzimidazoles (1) and 2-guanidino benzimidazoles (2), as their open ring analogues. Enzymatic screening was carried out against PTR1, DHFR, and thymidylate synthase (TS). The crystal structures of TbDHFR and TbPTR1 in complex with selected compounds experienced in both cases a substrate-like binding mode and allowed the rationalization of the main chemical features supporting the inhibitor ability to target folate enzymes. Biological evaluation of both series was performed against T. brucei and L. infantum and the toxicity against THP-1 human macrophages. Notably, the 5,6-dimethyl-2-guanidinobenzimidazole 2g resulted to be the most potent (Ki = 9 nM) and highly selective TbDHFR inhibitor, 6000-fold over TbPTR1 and 394-fold over hDHFR. The 5,6-dimethyl tricyclic analogue 1g, despite showing a lower potency and selectivity profile than 2g, shared a comparable antiparasitic activity against T. brucei in the low micromolar domain. The dichloro-substituted 2-guanidino benzimidazoles 2c and 2d revealed their potent and broad-spectrum antitrypanosomatid activity affecting the growth of T. brucei and L. infantum parasites. Therefore, both chemotypes could represent promising templates that could be valorized for further drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Francesconi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, Genoa 16132, Italy
| | - Marco Rizzo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, Genoa 16132, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, Siena 53100, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metallo Proteine (CIMMP), Via Luigi Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Tagliazucchi
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, Modena 41125, Italy
- Doctorate School in Clinical and Experimental Medicine (CEM), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, Modena 41125, Italy
| | - Claude U Konchie Simo
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, Modena 41125, Italy
| | - Giulia Saporito
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, Modena 41125, Italy
| | - Giacomo Landi
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Stefano Mangani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Anna Carbone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, Genoa 16132, Italy
| | - Silvia Schenone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, Genoa 16132, Italy
| | - Nuno Santarém
- i3S - Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | - Joana Tavares
- i3S - Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- i3S - Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, Porto 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- Department of Life Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 103, Modena 41125, Italy
| | - Michele Tonelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, viale Benedetto XV n.3, Genoa 16132, Italy
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3
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Ataş AD, Akın-Polat Z, Gülpınar DG, Şahin N. The first evaluation of the in vitro effects of silver(I)-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes on Encephalitozoon intestinalis and Leishmania major promastigotes. J Biol Inorg Chem 2024; 29:499-509. [PMID: 38918208 PMCID: PMC11343777 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-024-02063-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Encephalitozoon intestinalis is an opportunistic microsporidian parasite that primarily infects immunocompromised individuals, such as those with HIV/AIDS or undergoing organ transplantation. Leishmaniasis is responsible for parasitic infections, particularly in developing countries. The disease has not been effectively controlled due to the lack of an effective vaccine and affordable treatment options. Current treatment options for E. intestinalis infection and leishmaniasis are limited and often associated with adverse side effects. There is no previous study in the literature on the antimicrosporidial activities of Ag(I)-N-heterocyclic carbene compounds. In this study, the in vitro antimicrosporidial activities of previously synthesized Ag(I)-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes were evaluated using E. intestinalis spores cultured in human renal epithelial cell lines (HEK-293). Inhibition of microsporidian replication was determined by spore counting. In addition, the effects of the compounds on Leishmania major promastigotes were assessed by measuring metabolic activity or cell viability using a tetrazolium reaction. Statistical analysis was performed to determine significant differences between treated and control groups. Our results showed that the growth of E. intestinalis and L. major promastigotes was inhibited by the tested compounds in a concentration-dependent manner. A significant decrease in parasite viability was observed at the highest concentrations. These results suggest that the compounds have potential anti-microsporidial and anti-leishmanial activity. Further research is required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action and to evaluate the efficacy of the compounds in animal models or clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Duran Ataş
- Departments of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, 58140, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Zübeyda Akın-Polat
- Departments of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, 58140, Sivas, Turkey.
| | - Derya Gül Gülpınar
- Departments of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, 58140, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Neslihan Şahin
- Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Cumhuriyet University, 58040, Sivas, Turkey.
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Azevedo LG, Sosa E, de Queiroz ATL, Barral A, Wheeler RJ, Nicolás MF, Farias LP, Do Porto DF, Ramos PIP. High-throughput prioritization of target proteins for development of new antileishmanial compounds. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2024; 25:100538. [PMID: 38669848 PMCID: PMC11068527 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2024.100538] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease, is caused by the infection of Leishmania spp., obligate intracellular protozoan parasites. Presently, human vaccines are unavailable, and the primary treatment relies heavily on systemic drugs, often presenting with suboptimal formulations and substantial toxicity, making new drugs a high priority for LMIC countries burdened by the disease, but a low priority in the agenda of most pharmaceutical companies due to unattractive profit margins. New ways to accelerate the discovery of new, or the repositioning of existing drugs, are needed. To address this challenge, our study aimed to identify potential protein targets shared among clinically-relevant Leishmania species. We employed a subtractive proteomics and comparative genomics approach, integrating high-throughput multi-omics data to classify these targets based on different druggability metrics. This effort resulted in the ranking of 6502 ortholog groups of protein targets across 14 pathogenic Leishmania species. Among the top 20 highly ranked groups, metabolic processes known to be attractive drug targets, including the ubiquitination pathway, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and purine synthesis, were rediscovered. Additionally, we unveiled novel promising targets such as the nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase enzyme and dihydrolipoamide succinyltransferases. These groups exhibited appealing druggability features, including less than 40% sequence identity to the human host proteome, predicted essentiality, structural classification as highly druggable or druggable, and expression levels above the 50th percentile in the amastigote form. The resources presented in this work also represent a comprehensive collection of integrated data regarding trypanosomatid biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas G Azevedo
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Investigative Medicine, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Ezequiel Sosa
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Artur T L de Queiroz
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Investigative Medicine, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Aldina Barral
- Laboratório de Medicina e Saúde Pública de Precisão (MeSP2), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Richard J Wheeler
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Marisa F Nicolás
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Leonardo P Farias
- Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Investigative Medicine, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Laboratório de Medicina e Saúde Pública de Precisão (MeSP2), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | | | - Pablo Ivan P Ramos
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Investigative Medicine, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
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5
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Hauser DA, Kaiser M, Mäser P, Albisetti A. Venturicidin A affects the mitochondrial membrane potential and induces kDNA loss in Trypanosoma brucei. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0167123. [PMID: 38869301 PMCID: PMC11232411 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01671-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases caused by trypanosomatid parasites have devastating health and economic consequences, especially in tropical areas. New drugs or new combination therapies to fight these parasites are urgently needed. Venturicidin A, a macrolide extracted from Streptomyces, inhibits the ATP synthase complex of fungi and bacteria. However, its effect on trypanosomatids is not fully understood. In this study, we tested venturicidin A on a panel of trypanosomatid parasites using Alamar Blue assays and found it to be highly active against Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania donovani, but much less so against Trypanosoma evansi. Using fluorescence microscopy, we observed a rapid loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential in T. brucei bloodstream forms upon venturicidin A treatment. Additionally, we report the loss of mitochondrial DNA in approximately 40%-50% of the treated parasites. We conclude that venturicidin A targets the ATP synthase of T. brucei, and we suggest that this macrolide could be a candidate for anti-trypanosomatid drug repurposing, drug combinations, or medicinal chemistry programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis A Hauser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Kaiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Mäser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anna Albisetti
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Scavuzzo CM, Campero MN, Maidana RE, Oberto MG, Periago MV, Porcasi X. Spatial patterns of intestinal parasite infections among children and adolescents in some indigenous communities in Argentina. GEOSPATIAL HEALTH 2024; 19. [PMID: 38804692 DOI: 10.4081/gh.2024.1279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Argentina has a heterogeneous prevalence of infections by intestinal parasites (IPs), with the north in the endemic area, especially for soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). We analyzed the spatial patterns of these infections in the city of Tartagal, Salta province, by an observational, correlational, and cross-sectional study in children and adolescents aged 1 to 15 years from native communities. One fecal sample per individual was collected to detect IPs using various diagnostic techniques: Telemann sedimentation, Baermann culture, and Kato-Katz. Moran's global and local indices were applied together with SaTScan to assess the spatial distribution, with a focus on cluster detection. The extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) machine-learning model was used to predict the presence of IPs and their transmission pathways. Based on the analysis of 572 fecal samples, a prevalence of 78.3% was found. The most frequent parasite was Giardia lamblia (30.9%). High- and low-risk clusters were observed for most species, distributed in an east-west direction and polarized in two large foci, one near the city of Tartagal and the other in the km 6 community. Spatial XGBoost models were obtained based on distances with a minimum median accuracy of 0.69. Different spatial patterns reflecting the mechanisms of transmission were noted. The distribution of the majority of the parasites studied was aligned in a westerly direction close to the city, but the STH presence was higher in the km 6 community, toward the east. The purely spatial analysis provides a different and complementary overview for the detection of vulnerable hotspots and strategic intervention. Machine-learning models based on spatial variables explain a large percentage of the variability of the IPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Matías Scavuzzo
- Human Nutrition Research Center, School of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical Sciences, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba; Mario Gulich Institute for Higher Space Studies, National University of Córdoba, National Commission of Space Activities, Falda del Cañete, Córdoba; National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, Buenos Aires; Mundo Sano Foundation, Buonos Aires.
| | - Micaela Natalia Campero
- Human Nutrition Research Center, School of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical Sciences, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba; Mario Gulich Institute for Higher Space Studies, National University of Córdoba, National Commission of Space Activities, Falda del Cañete, Córdoba; National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, Buenos Aires.
| | - Rosana Elizabeth Maidana
- Human Nutrition Research Center, School of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical Sciences, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba.
| | - María Georgina Oberto
- Human Nutrition Research Center, School of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical Sciences, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba.
| | - María Victoria Periago
- National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, Buenos Aires; Mundo Sano Foundation, Buonos Aires.
| | - Ximena Porcasi
- Mario Gulich Institute for Higher Space Studies, National University of Córdoba, National Commission of Space Activities, Falda del Cañete, Córdoba.
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Vieira TM, Barco JG, Paula LAL, Felix PCA, Bastos JK, Magalhães LG, Crotti AEM. In vitro Evaluation of the Antileishmanial and Antischistosomal Activities of p-Coumaric Acid Prenylated Derivatives. Chem Biodivers 2024; 21:e202400491. [PMID: 38470945 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202400491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
We have evaluated eight p-coumaric acid prenylated derivatives in vitro for their antileishmanial activity against Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes and their antischistosomal activity against Schistosoma mansoni adult worms. Compound 7 ((E)-3,4-diprenyl-4-isoprenyloxycinnamic alcohol) was the most active against L. amazonensis (IC50=45.92 μM) and S. mansoni (IC50=64.25 μM). Data indicated that the number of prenyl groups, the presence of hydroxyl at C9, and a single bond between C7 and C8 are important structural features for the antileishmanial activity of p-coumaric acid prenylated derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana M Vieira
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Philosophy, Science and Letters at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Júlia G Barco
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Philosophy, Science and Letters at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas A L Paula
- Research Center in Exact and Technological Sciences, University of Franca, 14404-600, Franca, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo C A Felix
- Research Center in Exact and Technological Sciences, University of Franca, 14404-600, Franca, SP, Brazil
| | - Jairo K Bastos
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Lizandra G Magalhães
- Research Center in Exact and Technological Sciences, University of Franca, 14404-600, Franca, SP, Brazil
| | - Antônio E M Crotti
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Philosophy, Science and Letters at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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Marín M, López M, Gallego-Yerga L, Álvarez R, Peláez R. Experimental structure based drug design (SBDD) applications for anti-leishmanial drugs: A paradigm shift? Med Res Rev 2024; 44:1055-1120. [PMID: 38142308 DOI: 10.1002/med.22005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a group of neglected tropical diseases caused by at least 20 species of Leishmania protozoa, which are spread by the bite of infected sandflies. There are three main forms of the disease: cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL, the most common), visceral leishmaniasis (VL, also known as kala-azar, the most serious), and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. One billion people live in areas endemic to leishmaniasis, with an annual estimation of 30,000 new cases of VL and more than 1 million of CL. New treatments for leishmaniasis are an urgent need, as the existing ones are inefficient, toxic, and/or expensive. We have revised the experimental structure-based drug design (SBDD) efforts applied to the discovery of new drugs against leishmaniasis. We have grouped the explored targets according to the metabolic pathways they belong to, and the key achieved advances are highlighted and evaluated. In most cases, SBDD studies follow high-throughput screening campaigns and are secondary to pharmacokinetic optimization, due to the majoritarian belief that there are few validated targets for SBDD in leishmaniasis. However, some SBDD strategies have significantly contributed to new drug candidates against leishmaniasis and a bigger number holds promise for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Marín
- Laboratorio de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales de la Universidad de Salamanca (CIETUS), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Marta López
- Laboratorio de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales de la Universidad de Salamanca (CIETUS), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Laura Gallego-Yerga
- Laboratorio de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales de la Universidad de Salamanca (CIETUS), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Raquel Álvarez
- Laboratorio de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales de la Universidad de Salamanca (CIETUS), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Rafael Peláez
- Laboratorio de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales de la Universidad de Salamanca (CIETUS), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Salamanca, Spain
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Machado I, Gambino D. Metallomics: An Essential Tool for the Study of Potential Antiparasitic Metallodrugs. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:15744-15752. [PMID: 38617611 PMCID: PMC11007724 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c10200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Metallomics is an emerging area of omics approaches that has grown enormously in the past few years. It integrates research related to metals in biological systems, in symbiosis with genomics and proteomics. These omics approaches can provide in-depth insights into the mechanisms of action of potential metallodrugs, including their physiological metabolism and their molecular targets. Herein, we review the most significant advances concerning cellular uptake and subcellular distribution assays of different potential metallodrugs with activity against Trypanosma cruzi, the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease, a pressing health problem in high-poverty areas of Latin America. Furthermore, the first multiomics approaches including metallomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics for the comprehensive study of potential metallodrugs with anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Machado
- Área
Química Analítica, Facultad de Química, Área Química
Inorgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
| | - Dinorah Gambino
- Área
Química Analítica, Facultad de Química, Área Química
Inorgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
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Lin Y, Scalese G, Bulman CA, Vinck R, Blacque O, Paulino M, Ballesteros-Casallas A, Pérez Díaz L, Salinas G, Mitreva M, Weil T, Cariou K, Sakanari JA, Gambino D, Gasser G. Antifungal and Antiparasitic Activities of Metallocene-Containing Fluconazole Derivatives. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:938-950. [PMID: 38329933 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The search for new anti-infectives based on metal complexes is gaining momentum. Among the different options taken by researchers, the one involving the use of organometallic complexes is probably the most successful one with a compound, namely, ferroquine, already in clinical trials against malaria. In this study, we describe the preparation and in-depth characterization of 10 new (organometallic) derivatives of the approved antifungal drug fluconazole. Our rationale is that the sterol 14α-demethylase is an enzyme part of the ergosterol biosynthesis route in Trypanosoma and is similar to the one in pathogenic fungi. To demonstrate our postulate, docking experiments to assess the binding of our compounds with the enzyme were also performed. Our compounds were then tested on a range of fungal strains and parasitic organisms, including the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) responsible for Chagas disease, an endemic disease in Latin America that ranks among some of the most prevalent parasitic diseases worldwide. Of high interest, the two most potent compounds of the study on T. cruzi that contain a ferrocene or cobaltocenium were found to be harmless for an invertebrate animal model, namely, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), without affecting motility, viability, or development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Lin
- Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, CNRS, Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences, Laboratory for Inorganic Chemical Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Gonzalo Scalese
- Área Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Christina A Bulman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Robin Vinck
- Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, CNRS, Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences, Laboratory for Inorganic Chemical Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Blacque
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Margot Paulino
- Área Bioinformática, Departamento DETEMA, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Andres Ballesteros-Casallas
- Área Bioinformática, Departamento DETEMA, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Leticia Pérez Díaz
- Sección Genómica Funcional, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gustavo Salinas
- Worm Biology Lab, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Biociencias, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, United States
| | - Tobias Weil
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Kevin Cariou
- Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, CNRS, Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences, Laboratory for Inorganic Chemical Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Judy A Sakanari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Dinorah Gambino
- Área Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gilles Gasser
- Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, CNRS, Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences, Laboratory for Inorganic Chemical Biology, 75005 Paris, France
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Khandibharad S, Singh S. Single-cell ATAC sequencing identifies sleepy macrophages during reciprocity of cytokines in L. major infection. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0347823. [PMID: 38299832 PMCID: PMC10913457 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03478-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The hallmark characteristic of macrophages lies in their inherent plasticity, allowing them to adapt to dynamic microenvironments. Leishmania strategically modulates the phenotypic plasticity of macrophages, creating a favorable environment for intracellular survival and persistent infection through regulatory cytokine such as interleukin (IL)-10. Nevertheless, these effector cells can counteract infection by modulating crucial cytokines like IL-12 and key components involved in its production. Using sophisticated tool of single-cell assay for transposase accessible chromatin (ATAC) sequencing, we systematically examined the regulatory axis of IL-10 and IL-12 in a time-dependent manner during Leishmania major infection in macrophages Our analysis revealed the cellular heterogeneity post-infection with the regulators of IL-10 and IL-12, unveiling a reciprocal relationship between these cytokines. Notably, our significant findings highlighted the presence of sleepy macrophages and their pivotal role in mediating reciprocity between IL-10 and IL-12. To summarize, the roles of cytokine expression, transcription factors, cell cycle, and epigenetics of host cell machinery were vital in identification of sleepy macrophages, which is a transient state where transcription factors controlled the epigenetic remodeling and expression of genes involved in pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and recruitment of immune cells.IMPORTANCELeishmaniasis is an endemic affecting 99 countries and territories globally, as outlined in the 2022 World Health Organization report. The disease's severity is compounded by compromised host immune systems, emphasizing the pivotal role of the interplay between parasite and host immune factors in disease regulation. In instances of cutaneous leishmaniasis induced by L. major, macrophages function as sentinel cells. Our findings indicate that the plasticity and phenotype of macrophages can be modulated to express a cytokine profile involving IL-10 and IL-12, mediated by the regulation of transcription factors and their target genes post-L. major infection in macrophages. Employing sophisticated methodologies such as single-cell ATAC sequencing and computational genomics, we have identified a distinctive subset of macrophages termed "sleepy macrophages." These macrophages exhibit downregulated housekeeping genes while expressing a unique set of variable features. This data set constitutes a valuable resource for comprehending the intricate host-parasite interplay during L. major infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Khandibharad
- Systems Medicine Lab, National Centre for Cell Science, SP Pune University Campus, Pune, India
| | - Shailza Singh
- Systems Medicine Lab, National Centre for Cell Science, SP Pune University Campus, Pune, India
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12
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Sifontes-Rodríguez S, Mollineda-Diogo N, Monzote-Fidalgo L, Escalona-Montaño AR, Escario García-Trevijano JA, Aguirre-García MM, Meneses-Marcel A. In Vitro and In Vivo Antileishmanial Activity of Thioridazine. Acta Parasitol 2024; 69:324-331. [PMID: 38070122 PMCID: PMC11001698 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00746-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease with high prevalence and incidence in tropical and subtropical areas. Existing drugs are limited due to cost, toxicity, declining efficacy and unavailability in endemic places. Drug repurposing has established as an efficient way for the discovery of drugs for a variety of diseases. PURPOSE The objective of the present work was testing the antileishmanial activity of thioridazine, an antipsychotic agent with demonstrated effect against other intracellular pathogens. METHODS The cytotoxicity for mouse peritoneal macrophages as well as the activity against Leishmania amazonensis, Leishmania mexicana and Leishmania major promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes, as well as in a mouse model of cutaneous leishmaniasis, were assessed. RESULTS Thioridazine inhibited the in vitro proliferation of promastigotes (50% inhibitory concentration-IC50-values in the range of 0.73 µM to 3.8 µM against L. amazonensis, L. mexicana and L. major) and intracellular amastigotes (IC50 values of 1.27 µM to 4.4 µM for the same species). In contrast, in mouse peritoneal macrophages, the 50% cytotoxic concentration was 24.0 ± 1.89 µM. Thioridazine inhibited the growth of cutaneous lesions and reduced the number of parasites in the infected tissue of mice. The dose of thioridazine that inhibited lesion development by 50% compared to controls was 23.3 ± 3.1 mg/kg and in terms of parasite load, it was 11.1 ± 0.97 mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS Thioridazine was effective against the promastigote and intracellular amastigote stages of three Leishmania species and in a mouse model of cutaneous leishmaniasis, supporting the potential repurposing of this drug as an antileishmanial agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Sifontes-Rodríguez
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Unidad de Investigación UNAM-INC, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Niurka Mollineda-Diogo
- Centro de Bioactivos Químicos, Universidad Central "Martha Abreu" de Las Villas, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
| | | | - Alma Reyna Escalona-Montaño
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Unidad de Investigación UNAM-INC, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - María Magdalena Aguirre-García
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Unidad de Investigación UNAM-INC, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Alfredo Meneses-Marcel
- Centro de Bioactivos Químicos, Universidad Central "Martha Abreu" de Las Villas, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
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13
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Berhe H, Kumar Cinthakunta Sridhar M, Zerihun M, Qvit N. The Potential Use of Peptides in the Fight against Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:227. [PMID: 38399281 PMCID: PMC10892537 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease and leishmaniasis are both neglected tropical diseases that affect millions of people around the world. Leishmaniasis is currently the second most widespread vector-borne parasitic disease after malaria. The World Health Organization records approximately 0.7-1 million newly diagnosed leishmaniasis cases each year, resulting in approximately 20,000-30,000 deaths. Also, 25 million people worldwide are at risk of Chagas disease and an estimated 6 million people are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin B, miltefosine, paromomycin, and pentamidine are currently used to treat leishmaniasis. Also, nifurtimox and benznidazole are two drugs currently used to treat Chagas disease. These drugs are associated with toxicity problems such as nephrotoxicity and cardiotoxicity, in addition to resistance problems. As a result, the discovery of novel therapeutic agents has emerged as a top priority and a promising alternative. Overall, there is a need for new and effective treatments for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, as the current drugs have significant limitations. Peptide-based drugs are attractive due to their high selectiveness, effectiveness, low toxicity, and ease of production. This paper reviews the potential use of peptides in the treatment of Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. Several studies have demonstrated that peptides are effective against Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, suggesting their use in drug therapy for these diseases. Overall, peptides have the potential to be effective therapeutic agents against Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, but more research is needed to fully investigate their potential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nir Qvit
- The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel; (H.B.); (M.K.C.S.); (M.Z.)
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14
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Khandibharad S, Singh S. Synthetic biology for combating leishmaniasis. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1338749. [PMID: 38362504 PMCID: PMC10867266 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1338749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. Despite the efforts to control and treat the disease, it still remains a major public health problem in many countries. Synthetic biology is a rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field that combines biology, engineering, and computer science to design and construct novel biological systems. In recent years, synthetic biology approaches have shown great promise for developing new and effective strategies to combat leishmaniasis. In this perspective, we summarize the recent advances in the use of synthetic biology for the development of vaccines, diagnostic tools, and novel therapeutics for leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shailza Singh
- Systems Medicine Laboratory, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, India
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15
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dos Santos JV, Medina JM, Dias Teixeira KL, Agostinho DMJ, Chorev M, Diotallevi A, Galluzzi L, Aktas BH, Gazos Lopes U. Activity of the Di-Substituted Urea-Derived Compound I-17 in Leishmania In Vitro Infections. Pathogens 2024; 13:104. [PMID: 38392842 PMCID: PMC10893125 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein synthesis has been a very rich target for developing drugs to control prokaryotic and eukaryotic pathogens. Despite the development of new drug formulations, treating human cutaneous and visceral Leishmaniasis still needs significant improvements due to the considerable side effects and low adherence associated with the current treatment regimen. In this work, we show that the di-substituted urea-derived compounds I-17 and 3m are effective in inhibiting the promastigote growth of different Leishmania species and reducing the macrophage intracellular load of amastigotes of the Leishmania (L.) amazonensis and L. major species, in addition to exhibiting low macrophage cytotoxicity. We also show a potential immunomodulatory effect of I-17 and 3m in infected macrophages, which exhibited increased expression of inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS2) and production of Nitric Oxide (NO). Our data indicate that I-17, 3m, and their analogs may be helpful in developing new drugs for treating leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Vitorino dos Santos
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (J.V.d.S.); (J.M.M.); (D.M.J.A.)
| | - Jorge Mansur Medina
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (J.V.d.S.); (J.M.M.); (D.M.J.A.)
| | | | - Daniel Marcos Julio Agostinho
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (J.V.d.S.); (J.M.M.); (D.M.J.A.)
| | - Michael Chorev
- Division of Hematology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - Aurora Diotallevi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, 61029 Urbino, Italy; (A.D.)
| | - Luca Galluzzi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, 61029 Urbino, Italy; (A.D.)
| | - Bertal Huseyin Aktas
- Division of Hematology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - Ulisses Gazos Lopes
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (J.V.d.S.); (J.M.M.); (D.M.J.A.)
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16
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de Carvalho Moreira LMC, de Sousa Silva ABA, de Araújo Medeiros K, Oshiro Júnior JA, da Silva DTC, de Lima Damasceno BPG. Effectiveness In Vivo and In Vitro of Polymeric Nanoparticles as a Drug Release System in the Treatment of Leishmaniasis. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:286-307. [PMID: 36683370 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230120163543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease caused by the parasite of the genus Leishmania. Current treatment regimens are obsolete and cause several side effects, promoting poor patient compliance, in addition to the vast majority already having the potential for resistance. Therefore, polymeric nanoparticles emerge as one of the viable alternatives to overcome existing limitations, through passive or active vectorization. This review aims to summarize the latest studies of polymeric nanoparticles as an alternative treatment for leishmaniasis. In the first section, the main pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic challenges of current drugs are reported. The second section details how nanoparticles with and without functionalization are efficient in the treatment of leishmaniasis, discussing the characteristics of the polymer in the formulation. In this way, polymeric nanoparticles can improve the physicochemical properties of leishmanicidal drugs, improving solubility and stability, as well as improve the release of these drugs, directly or indirectly reaching monocytes/macrophages. 64.28% drugs were focused on the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis, and 28.57% on cutaneous leishmaniasis. The most chosen polymers in the literature are chitosan (35.71%) and PLGA (35.71%), the others represented 14.30% drugs, with all able to manage the drug release and increase the in vitro and/or in vivo efficacy of the original molecule. However, there are several barriers for these nanoformulations to cross laboratory research and is necessary more in-depth studies about the metabolites and degradation pathways of the polymers used in the formulations and plasma proteomics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívia Maria Coelho de Carvalho Moreira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brasil
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Caracterização de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brasil
| | | | - Kaline de Araújo Medeiros
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brasil
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Caracterização de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brasil
| | - João Augusto Oshiro Júnior
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Caracterização de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brasil
| | - Dayanne Tomaz Casimiro da Silva
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Caracterização de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brasil
| | - Bolívar Ponciano Goulart de Lima Damasceno
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brasil
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Caracterização de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brasil
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17
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da Silva F, Rizk YS, das Neves AR, Lourenço EMG, Ferreira AMT, Monteiro MM, de Lima DP, Perdomo RT, Bonfá IS, Toffoli-Kadri MC, Duarte AP, Nunes DM, Martines MAU, Piranda EM, de Arruda CCP. Antileishmanial Activity, Toxicity and Mechanism of Action of Complexes of Sodium Usnate with Lanthanide Ions: Eu(III), Sm(III), Gd(III), Nd(III), La(III) and Tb(III). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:413. [PMID: 38203584 PMCID: PMC10779311 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniases are neglected diseases with limited therapeutic options. Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis can occur in Brazil due to Leishmania amazonensis. This study details the antileishmanial activity and cytotoxicity of complexes of sodium usnate (SAU) with lanthanide ions ([LnL3 (H2O)x] (Ln = La(III), Nd(III), Gd(III), Tb(III), Eu(III) and Sm(III); L = SAU). All lanthanide complexes were highly active and more potent than SAU against L. amazonensis promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes (Pro: IC50 < 1.50 μM; Ama: IC50 < 7.52 μM). EuL3·3H2O and NdL3·3H2O were the most selective and effective on intracellular amastigotes, with a selectivity index of approximately 7.0. In silico predictions showed no evidence of mutagenicity, tumorigenicity or irritation for all complexes. Treatment with EuL3·3H2O triggered NO release even at the lowest concentration, indicating NO production as a mechanism of action against the parasite. Incubating promastigotes with the lanthanide complexes, particularly with SmL3·4H2O and GdL3·3H2O, led to a change in the mitochondrial membrane potential, indicating the ability of these complexes to target this essential organelle. The same complexes caused cell death through cell membrane disruption, but their relationship with early or late apoptotic processes remains unclear. Thus, the inclusion of lanthanide ions in SAU improves selectivity with a promising mechanism of action targeting the mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda da Silva
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil; (F.d.S.); (Y.S.R.); (A.R.d.N.); (E.M.P.)
| | - Yasmin Silva Rizk
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil; (F.d.S.); (Y.S.R.); (A.R.d.N.); (E.M.P.)
| | - Amarith Rodrigues das Neves
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil; (F.d.S.); (Y.S.R.); (A.R.d.N.); (E.M.P.)
| | - Estela Mariana Guimarães Lourenço
- Laboratório de Síntese e Transformação de Moléculas Orgânicas-SINTMOL, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79074-460, Brazil; (E.M.G.L.); (D.P.d.L.)
| | - Alda Maria Teixeira Ferreira
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Biologia Molecular e Bioensaios, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil;
| | - Melquisedeque Mateus Monteiro
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Culturas Celulares, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil; (M.M.M.); (R.T.P.)
| | - Dênis Pires de Lima
- Laboratório de Síntese e Transformação de Moléculas Orgânicas-SINTMOL, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79074-460, Brazil; (E.M.G.L.); (D.P.d.L.)
| | - Renata Trentin Perdomo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Culturas Celulares, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil; (M.M.M.); (R.T.P.)
| | - Iluska Senna Bonfá
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Inflamação, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79074-460, Brazil; (I.S.B.); (M.C.T.-K.)
| | - Mônica Cristina Toffoli-Kadri
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Inflamação, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79074-460, Brazil; (I.S.B.); (M.C.T.-K.)
| | - Adriana Pereira Duarte
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79074-460, Brazil; (A.P.D.); (M.A.U.M.)
| | - Daniel Mendes Nunes
- Faculdade de Química, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS), Campo Grande 79804-970, Brazil;
| | - Marco Antonio Utrera Martines
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79074-460, Brazil; (A.P.D.); (M.A.U.M.)
| | - Eliane Mattos Piranda
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil; (F.d.S.); (Y.S.R.); (A.R.d.N.); (E.M.P.)
| | - Carla Cardozo Pinto de Arruda
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil; (F.d.S.); (Y.S.R.); (A.R.d.N.); (E.M.P.)
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Perin LR, Parreira LA, Barcelos ECS, Santos MFC, Menini L, Gomes DDO, Careta FDP. In vitro effect of alpha-bisabolol and its synthetic derivatives on macrophages, promastigotes, and amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania infantum. Nat Prod Res 2023:1-6. [PMID: 38013219 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2023.2288232] [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: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis are public health problems in Africa, Asia, Europe, and America. The treatment has a high cost and toxicity. Thus, this work aims to evaluate the leishmanicidal activity of alpha-bisabolol and its three synthetic derivatives, P1, P2, and P3, on the promastigotes and amastigotes Leishmania infantum and L. amazonensis forms. Alpha-bisabolol showed the lowest IC50 with 3.43 for L. amazonensis promastigotes, while P1 was the most toxic for L. infantum with an IC50 of 9.10. The derivative P3 was better for the amastigote form, with an IC50 of 3.39 for L. amazonensis. All the compounds effectively decreased the intracellular load of amastigote and its ability to turn promastigote again. Thus, alpha-bisabolol and its three synthetic derivatives were effective in their leishmanicidal activity. Therefore, it can be an option for developing new treatments against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Reisen Perin
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Alegre, Brasil
| | - Luciana Alves Parreira
- Departamento de Química e Física, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Alegre, Brasil
| | | | | | - Luciano Menini
- Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo/Campus de Alegre, Alegre, Brasil
| | - Daniel de Oliveira Gomes
- Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas/Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brasil
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Romero AH, Aguilera E, Gotopo L, Cabrera G, Dávila B, Cerecetto H. Optimization of the 2-arylquinazoline-4(3 H)one scaffold for a selective and potent antitrypanosomal agent: modulation of the mechanism of action through chemical functionalization. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:1992-2006. [PMID: 37859724 PMCID: PMC10583831 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00243h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We sought to identify a potent and selective antitrypanosomal agent through modulation of the mechanism of action of a 2-arylquinazoline scaffold as an antitrypanosomal agent via chemical functionalization at the 4-position. We wished to use the: (i) susceptibility of trypanosomatids towards nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS); (ii) capacity of the 4-substituted quinazoline system to act as an antifolate agent. Three quinazolin-based moieties that differed from each other by having at the 4-position key pharmacophores targeting the induction of NO and ROS production were evaluated in vitro against Leishmania infantum and Trypanosoma cruzi parasites and their modes of action were explored. Replacement of an oxygen moiety at the 4-position of the antifolate 2-arylquinazolin-4(3H)one by hydrazinyl and 5-nitrofuryl-hydrazinyl pharmacophores enhanced antitrypanosomatid activity significantly due to promotion of an additional mechanism beyond the antifolate response such as NO or ROS production, respectively. Among the three types of chemical functionalization, the 5-nitrofuryl-hydrazinyl moiety generated the most potent compounds. Compound 3b was a potential candidate thanks to its sub-micromolar response against the promastigotes/amastigotes of L. infantum and epimastigote of T. cruzi, moderate toxicity on macrophages (J774.1), good selectivity index (∼15.1-17.6) and, importantly, non-mutagenic effects. 2-Arylquinazoline could be an attractive platform to design new anti-trypanosomatid agents with the use of key pharmacophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel H Romero
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Igual 4225 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
| | - Elena Aguilera
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Igual 4225 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
| | - Lourdes Gotopo
- Laboratorio de Síntesis de Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela Los Chaguaramos Caracas 1041-A Venezuela
| | - Gustavo Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Síntesis de Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela Los Chaguaramos Caracas 1041-A Venezuela
| | - Belén Dávila
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Igual 4225 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
| | - Hugo Cerecetto
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Igual 4225 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
- Área de Radiofarmacia, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Mataojo 42055 11400 Montevideo Uruguay
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20
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Lourenço EMG, da Silva F, das Neves AR, Bonfá IS, Ferreira AMT, Menezes ACG, da Silva MEC, Dos Santos JT, Martines MAU, Perdomo RT, Toffoli-Kadri MC, G Barbosa E, Saba S, Beatriz A, Rafique J, de Arruda CCP, de Lima DP. Investigation of the Potential Targets behind the Promising and Highly Selective Antileishmanial Action of Synthetic Flavonoid Derivatives. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:2048-2061. [PMID: 37772925 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniases are among the neglected tropical diseases that still cause devastating health, social, and economic consequences to more than 350 million people worldwide. Despite efforts to combat these vector-borne diseases, their incidence does not decrease. Meanwhile, current antileishmanial drugs are old and highly toxic, and safer presentations are unaffordable to the most severely affected human populations. In a previous study by our research group, we synthesized 17 flavonoid derivatives that demonstrated impressive inhibition capacity against rCPB2.8, rCPB3, and rH84Y. These cysteine proteases are highly expressed in the amastigote stage, the target form of the parasite. However, although these compounds have been already described in the literature, until now, the amastigote effect of any of these molecules has not been proven. In this work, we aimed to deeply analyze the antileishmanial action of this set of synthetic flavonoid derivatives by correlating their ability to inhibit cysteine proteases with the action against the parasite. Among all the synthesized flavonoid derivatives, 11 of them showed high activity against amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis, also providing safety to mammalian host cells. Furthermore, the high production of nitric oxide by infected cells treated with the most active cysteine protease B (CPB) inhibitors confirms a potential immunomodulatory response of macrophages. Besides, considering flavonoids as multitarget drugs, we also investigated other potential antileishmanial mechanisms. The most active compounds were selected to investigate another potential biological pathway behind their antileishmanial action using flow cytometry analysis. The results confirmed an oxidative stress after 48 h of treatment. These data represent an important step toward the validation of CPB as an antileishmanial target, as well as aiding in new drug discovery studies based on this protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estela M G Lourenço
- Laboratório de Síntese e Transformação de Moléculas Orgânicas -SINTMOL, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Av. Senador Filinto Muller, Campo Grande, 79074-460 MS, Brazil
| | - Fernanda da Silva
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Amarith R das Neves
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Iluska S Bonfá
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Inflamação, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, 79074-460 MS, Brazil
| | - Alda Maria T Ferreira
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Biologia Molecular e Bioensaios Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, 79070-900 MS, Brazil
| | - Adriana C G Menezes
- Biotério Central, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, 79070-900 MS, Brazil
| | - Maria E C da Silva
- Laboratório de Síntese e Transformação de Moléculas Orgânicas -SINTMOL, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Av. Senador Filinto Muller, Campo Grande, 79074-460 MS, Brazil
| | - Jéssica T Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Síntese e Transformação de Moléculas Orgânicas -SINTMOL, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Av. Senador Filinto Muller, Campo Grande, 79074-460 MS, Brazil
| | - Marco A U Martines
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Av. Senador Filinto Muller, Campo Grande, 79074-460 MS, Brazil
| | - Renata T Perdomo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Cultura de Células, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, 79070-900 MS, Brazil
| | - Mônica C Toffoli-Kadri
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Inflamação, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, 79074-460 MS, Brazil
| | - Euzébio G Barbosa
- Laboratório de Química Farmacêutica Computacional, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59012-570, RN, Brazil
| | - Sumbal Saba
- Laboratório de Síntese Sustentável e Organocalcogênio - LabSO, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás-UFG, Goiânia, 74690-900 GO, Brazil
| | - Adilson Beatriz
- Laboratório de Síntese e Transformação de Moléculas Orgânicas -SINTMOL, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Av. Senador Filinto Muller, Campo Grande, 79074-460 MS, Brazil
| | - Jamal Rafique
- Laboratório de Síntese e Transformação de Moléculas Orgânicas -SINTMOL, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Av. Senador Filinto Muller, Campo Grande, 79074-460 MS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Síntese Sustentável e Organocalcogênio - LabSO, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás-UFG, Goiânia, 74690-900 GO, Brazil
| | - Carla C P de Arruda
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Dênis P de Lima
- Laboratório de Síntese e Transformação de Moléculas Orgânicas -SINTMOL, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Av. Senador Filinto Muller, Campo Grande, 79074-460 MS, Brazil
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21
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Zhu H, Peng N, Liang X, Yang S, Cai S, Chen Z, Yang Y, Wang J, Wang Y. Synthesis, properties and mechanism of carbon dots-based nano-antibacterial materials. Biomed Mater 2023; 18:062002. [PMID: 37722396 DOI: 10.1088/1748-605x/acfada] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics play an important role in the treatment of diseases, but bacterial resistance caused by their widespread and unreasonable use has become an urgent problem in clinical treatment. With the rapid advancement of nanoscience and nanotechnology, the development of nanomedicine has been transformed into a new approach to the problem of bacterial resistance. As a new type of carbon-based nanomaterial, carbon dots (CDs) have attracted the interest of antibacterial researchers due to their ease of preparation, amphiphilicity, facile surface functionalization, and excellent optical properties, among other properties. This article reviewed the synthesis methods and properties of various CDs and their composites in order to highlight the advancements in the field of CDs-based antibacterial agents. Then we focused on the relationship between the principal properties of CDs and the antibacterial mechanism, including the following: (1) the physical damage caused by the small size, amphiphilicity, and surface charge of CDs. (2) Photogenerated electron transfer characteristics of CDs that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in themselves or in other compounds. The ability of ROS to oxidize can lead to the lipid peroxidation of cell membranes, as well as damage proteins and DNA. (3) The nano-enzyme properties of CDs can catalyze reactions that generate ROS. (4) Synergistic antibacterial effect of CDs and antibiotics or other nanocomposites. Finally, we look forward to the challenges that CDs-based nanocomposites face in practical antibacterial applications and propose corresponding solutions to further expand the application potential of nanomaterials in the treatment of infectious diseases, particularly drug-resistant bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haimei Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Nannan Peng
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Liang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Song Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Shenghao Cai
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Zifan Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingmin Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongzhong Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Human Microenvironment and Precision Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
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22
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Garcia AR, Amorim MMB, Amaral ACF, da Cruz JD, Vermelho AB, Nico D, Rodrigues IA. Anti- Leishmania amazonensis Activity, Cytotoxic Features, and Chemical Profile of Allium sativum (Garlic) Essential Oil. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:375. [PMID: 37505671 PMCID: PMC10384145 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8070375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human tegumentary leishmaniasis (HTL) is a serious tropical disease caused by Leishmania amazonensis. Developing new leishmanicidal agents can help overcome current treatment challenges, such as drug resistance and toxicity. Essential oils are a source of lipophilic substances with diverse therapeutic properties. This study aimed to determine the anti-L. amazonensis activity, cytotoxicity, and chemical profile of Allium sativum essential oil (ASEO). The effect of ASEO on parasite and mammalian cells viability was evaluated using resazurin and MTT assays, respectively. The oil's effect against intracellular amastigotes was also determined. Transmission electron microscopy was used to assess the ultrastructural changes induced by ASEO. In addition, the chemical constituents of ASEO were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The cytotoxic potential was evaluated in vitro and in silico. The oil displayed IC50 of 1.76, 3.46, and 3.77 µg/mL against promastigotes, axenic, and intracellular amastigotes, respectively. Photomicrographs of treated parasites showed plasma membrane disruption, increased lipid bodies, and autophagic-like structures. ASEO chemical profiling revealed 1,2,4,6-tetrathiepane (24.84%) and diallyl disulfide (16.75%) as major components. Computational pharmacokinetics and toxicological analysis of ASEO's major components demonstrated good oral bioavailability and better toxicological endpoints than the reference drugs. Altogether, the results suggest that ASEO could be an alternative drug candidate against HTL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreza R Garcia
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Mariana M B Amorim
- Instituto Municipal de Vigilância Sanitária, Vigilância de Zoonoses e de Inspeção Agropecuária, Rio de Janeiro 22290-240, Brazil
| | - Ana Claudia F Amaral
- Departamento de Produtos Naturais, Farmanguinhos Fiocruz, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, Brazil
| | - Jefferson D da Cruz
- Departamento de Produtos Naturais, Farmanguinhos Fiocruz, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, Brazil
| | - Alane B Vermelho
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Dirlei Nico
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Igor A Rodrigues
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
- Departamento de Produtos Naturais e Alimentos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
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23
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Burgess V, Maya JD. Statin and aspirin use in parasitic infections as a potential therapeutic strategy: A narrative review. Rev Argent Microbiol 2023; 55:278-288. [PMID: 37019801 DOI: 10.1016/j.ram.2023.01.006] [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: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections, including zoonoses, constitute a threat to human health due to the spread of resistant pathogens. These diseases generate an inflammatory response controlled by a resolving mechanism involving specialized membrane lipid-derived molecules called lipoxins, resolvins, maresins, and protectins. The production of some of these molecules can be triggered by aspirin or statins. Thus, it is proposed that modulation of the host response could be a useful therapeutic strategy, contributing to the management of resistance to antiparasitic agents or preventing drift to chronic, host-damaging courses. Therefore, the present work presents the state of the art on the use of statins or aspirin for the experimental management of parasitic infections such as Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis or malaria. The methodology used was a narrative review covering original articles from the last seven years, 38 of which met the inclusion criteria. Based on the publications consulted, modulation of the resolution of inflammation using statins may be feasible as an adjuvant in the therapy of parasitic diseases. However, there was no strong experimental evidence on the use of aspirin; therefore, further studies are needed to evaluate its role inflammation resolution process in infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Burgess
- Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan D Maya
- Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago, Chile.
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24
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Sahu NK, Sharma R, Suhas KP, Joshi J, Prakash K, Sharma R, Pratap R, Hu X, Kaur S, Jain M, Coluccini C, Coghi P, Chaudhary S. Natural-Product-Inspired Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Novel Spirooxindoles as Antileishmanial Agents: Synthesis, Stereochemical Assignment, Bioevaluation, SAR, and Molecular Docking Studies. Molecules 2023; 28:4817. [PMID: 37375374 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28124817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, and there is an emerging need for the development of effective drugs to treat it. To identify novel compounds with antileishmanial properties, a novel series of functionalized spiro[indoline-3,2'-pyrrolidin]-2-one/spiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrolizin]-2-one 23a-f, 24a-f, and 25a-g were prepared from natural-product-inspired pharmaceutically privileged bioactive sub-structures, i.e., isatins 20a-h, various substituted chalcones 21a-f, and 22a-c amino acids, via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions in MeOH at 80 °C using a microwave-assisted approach. Compared to traditional methods, microwave-assisted synthesis produces higher yields and better quality, and it takes less time. We report here the in vitro antileishmanial activity against Leishmania donovani and SAR studies. The analogues 24a, 24e, 24f, and 25d were found to be the most active compounds of the series and showed IC50 values of 2.43 µM, 0.96 µM, 1.62 µM, and 3.55 µM, respectively, compared to the standard reference drug Amphotericin B (IC50 = 0.060 µM). All compounds were assessed for Leishmania DNA topoisomerase type IB inhibition activity using the standard drug Camptothecin, and 24a, 24e, 24f, and 25d showed potential results. In order to further validate the experimental results and gain a deeper understanding of the binding manner of such compounds, molecular docking studies were also performed. The stereochemistry of the novel functionalized spirooxindole derivatives was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawal Kishore Sahu
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry (OMC Lab), Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Jaipur 302017, India
- Department of Chemistry, Government Engineering College, Bharatpur 321303, India
| | - Ritu Sharma
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry (OMC Lab), Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Jaipur 302017, India
| | - Kshirsagar Prasad Suhas
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), New Transit Campus, Bijnor-Sisendi Road, Sarojini Nagar, Near CRPF Base Camp, Lucknow 226002, India
| | - Jyoti Joshi
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Kunal Prakash
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, North Campus, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Richa Sharma
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry (OMC Lab), Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Jaipur 302017, India
| | - Ramendra Pratap
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, North Campus, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Xiwen Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Sukhbir Kaur
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Mukesh Jain
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry (OMC Lab), Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Jaipur 302017, India
| | - Carmine Coluccini
- Institute of New Drug Development, College of Medicine, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Paolo Coghi
- School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Sandeep Chaudhary
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry (OMC Lab), Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Jaipur 302017, India
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli (NIPER-R), New Transit Campus, Bijnor-Sisendi Road, Sarojini Nagar, Near CRPF Base Camp, Lucknow 226002, India
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25
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Silva ARST, Costa AMB, Scher R, Andrade-Neto VV, Sarmento VHV, Santos ADJ, Torres-Santos EC, Jain S, Nunes RDS, Menna-Barreto RFS, Dolabella SS. Effect of 3-Carene and the Micellar Formulation on Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:324. [PMID: 37368742 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8060324] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniases are neglected tropical diseases caused by obligate intracellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania. The drugs used in treatment have a high financial cost, a long treatment time, high toxicity, and variable efficacy. 3-Carene (3CR) is a hydrocarbon monoterpene that has shown in vitro activity against some Leishmania species; however, it has low water solubility and high volatility. This study aimed to develop Poloxamer 407 micelles capable of delivering 3CR (P407-3CR) to improve antileishmanial activity. The micelles formulated presented nanometric size, medium or low polydispersity, and Newtonian fluid rheological behavior. 3CR and P407-3CR inhibited the growth of L. (L.) amazonensis promastigote with IC50/48h of 488.1 ± 3.7 and 419.9 ±1.5 mM, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that 3CR induces multiple nuclei and kinetoplast phenotypes and the formation of numerous cytosolic invaginations. Additionally, the micelles were not cytotoxic to L929 cells or murine peritoneal macrophages, presenting activity on intracellular amastigotes. P407-3CR micelles (IC50/72 h = 0.7 ± 0.1 mM) increased the monoterpene activity by at least twice (3CR: IC50/72 h >1.5 mM). These results showed that P407 micelles are an effective nanosystem for delivering 3CR and potentiating antileishmanial activity. More studies are needed to evaluate this system as a potential therapeutic option for leishmaniases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ricardo Scher
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49100-000, Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Valter Viana Andrade-Neto
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | | | - Adriana de Jesus Santos
- Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49100-000, Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Caio Torres-Santos
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Sona Jain
- Programa de Biotecnologia Industrial, Universidade Tiradentes, Aracaju 49032-490, Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Rogéria de Souza Nunes
- Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49100-000, Sergipe, Brazil
| | | | - Silvio Santana Dolabella
- Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49100-000, Sergipe, Brazil
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49100-000, Sergipe, Brazil
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Singh R, Kashif M, Srivastava P, Manna PP. Recent Advances in Chemotherapeutics for Leishmaniasis: Importance of the Cellular Biochemistry of the Parasite and Its Molecular Interaction with the Host. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12050706. [PMID: 37242374 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, a category 1 neglected protozoan disease caused by a kinetoplastid pathogen called Leishmania, is transmitted through dipteran insect vectors (phlebotomine, sand flies) in three main clinical forms: fatal visceral leishmaniasis, self-healing cutaneous leishmaniasis, and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. Generic pentavalent antimonials have long been the drug of choice against leishmaniasis; however, their success is plagued with limitations such as drug resistance and severe side effects, which makes them redundant as frontline therapy for endemic visceral leishmaniasis. Alternative therapeutic regimens based on amphotericin B, miltefosine, and paromomycin have also been approved. Due to the unavailability of human vaccines, first-line chemotherapies such as pentavalent antimonials, pentamidine, and amphotericin B are the only options to treat infected individuals. The higher toxicity, adverse effects, and perceived cost of these pharmaceutics, coupled with the emergence of parasite resistance and disease relapse, makes it urgent to identify new, rationalized drug targets for the improvement in disease management and palliative care for patients. This has become an emergent need and more relevant due to the lack of information on validated molecular resistance markers for the monitoring and surveillance of changes in drug sensitivity and resistance. The present study reviewed the recent advances in chemotherapeutic regimens by targeting novel drugs using several strategies including bioinformatics to gain new insight into leishmaniasis. Leishmania has unique enzymes and biochemical pathways that are distinct from those of its mammalian hosts. In light of the limited number of available antileishmanial drugs, the identification of novel drug targets and studying the molecular and cellular aspects of these drugs in the parasite and its host is critical to design specific inhibitors targeting and controlling the parasite. The biochemical characterization of unique Leishmania-specific enzymes can be used as tools to read through possible drug targets. In this review, we discuss relevant metabolic pathways and novel drugs that are unique, essential, and linked to the survival of the parasite based on bioinformatics and cellular and biochemical analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjeet Singh
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Mohammad Kashif
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Prateek Srivastava
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Partha Pratim Manna
- Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
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Herrera-Acevedo C, de Menezes RPB, de Sousa NF, Scotti L, Scotti MT, Coy-Barrera E. Kaurane-Type Diterpenoids as Potential Inhibitors of Dihydrofolate Reductase-Thymidylate Synthase in New World Leishmania Species. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12040663. [PMID: 37107025 PMCID: PMC10135059 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12040663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The bifunctional enzyme Dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) plays a crucial role in the survival of the Leishmania parasite, as folates are essential cofactors for purine and pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis. However, DHFR inhibitors are largely ineffective in controlling trypanosomatid infections, largely due to the presence of Pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1). Therefore, the search for structures with dual inhibitory activity against PTR1/DHFR-TS is crucial in the development of new anti-Leishmania chemotherapies. In this research, using the Leishmania major DHFR-TS recombinant protein, enzymatic inhibitory assays were performed on four kauranes and two derivatives that had been previously tested against LmPTR1. The structure 302 (6.3 µM) and its derivative 302a (4.5 µM) showed the lowest IC50 values among the evaluated molecules. To evaluate the mechanism of action of these structures, molecular docking calculations and molecular dynamics simulations were performed using a DHFR-TS hybrid model. Results showed that hydrogen bond interactions are critical for the inhibitory activity against LmDHFR-TS, as well as the presence of the p-hydroxyl group of the phenylpropanoid moiety of 302a. Finally, additional computational studies were performed on DHFR-TS structures from Leishmania species that cause cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in the New World (L. braziliensis, L. panamensis, and L. amazonensis) to explore the targeting potential of these kauranes in these species. It was demonstrated that structures 302 and 302a are multi-Leishmania species compounds with dual DHFR-TS/PTR1 inhibitory activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonny Herrera-Acevedo
- Post-Graduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil (M.T.S.)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad ECCI, Bogotá, Distrito Capital 111311, Colombia
| | - Renata Priscila Barros de Menezes
- Post-Graduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil (M.T.S.)
| | - Natália Ferreira de Sousa
- Post-Graduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil (M.T.S.)
| | - Luciana Scotti
- Post-Graduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil (M.T.S.)
| | - Marcus Tullius Scotti
- Post-Graduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil (M.T.S.)
| | - Ericsson Coy-Barrera
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Cajicá 250247, Colombia
- Correspondence:
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Synthetic Analogues of Gibbilimbol B Induce Bioenergetic Damage and Calcium Imbalance in Trypanosoma cruzi. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13030663. [PMID: 36983820 PMCID: PMC10052702 DOI: 10.3390/life13030663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is an endemic tropical disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which affects around 7 million people worldwide, mostly in development countries. The treatment relies on only two available drugs, with severe adverse effects and a limited efficacy. Therefore, the search for new therapies is a legitimate need. Within this context, our group reported the anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of gibbilimbol B, a natural alkylphenol isolated from the plant Piper malacophyllum. Two synthetic derivatives, LINS03018 (1) and LINS03024 (2), demonstrated a higher antiparasitic potency and were selected for mechanism of action investigations. Our studies revealed no alterations in the plasma membrane potential, but a rapid alkalinization of the acidocalcisomes. Nevertheless, compound 1 exhibit a pronounced effect in the bioenergetics metabolism, with a mitochondrial impairment and consequent decrease in ATP and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Compound 2 only depolarized the mitochondrial membrane potential, with no interferences in the respiratory chain. Additionally, no macrophages response of nitric oxide (NO) was observed in both compounds. Noteworthy, simple structure modifications in these derivatives induced significant differences in their lethal effects. Thus, this work reinforces the importance of the mechanism of action investigations at the early phases of drug discovery and support further developments of the series.
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Prathima TS, Ahmad MG, Karuppasamy R, Chanda K, Balamurali MM. Investigation on Phyto‐active Constituent of
Clerodendrum paniculatum
as Therapeutic Agent against Viral Diseases. ChemistrySelect 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202203932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- T. S. Prathima
- Division of Chemistry School of Advanced Sciences Vellore Institute of Technology Chennai Tamil Nadu India 600027
| | - Md. Gulzar Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry School of Advanced Sciences Vellore Institute of Technology Vellore Tamil Nadu India 632014
| | - Ramanathan Karuppasamy
- Department of Biotechnology School of BioSciences and Technology Vellore Institute of Technology Vellore Tamil Nadu India 632014
| | - Kaushik Chanda
- Department of Chemistry School of Advanced Sciences Vellore Institute of Technology Vellore Tamil Nadu India 632014
| | - M. M. Balamurali
- Division of Chemistry School of Advanced Sciences Vellore Institute of Technology Chennai Tamil Nadu India 600027
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Flavonoid Derivatives as New Potent Inhibitors of Cysteine Proteases: An Important Step toward the Design of New Compounds for the Treatment of Leishmaniasis. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11010225. [PMID: 36677517 PMCID: PMC9866541 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, affecting more than 350 million people globally. However, there is currently no vaccine available against human leishmaniasis, and current treatment is hampered by high cost, side-effects, and painful administration routes. It has become a United Nations goal to end leishmaniasis epidemics by 2030, and multitarget drug strategy emerges as a promising alternative. Among the multitarget compounds, flavonoids are a renowned class of natural products, and a structurally diverse library can be prepared through organic synthesis, which can be tested for biological effectiveness. In this study, we synthesised 17 flavonoid analogues using a scalable, easy-to-reproduce, and inexpensive method. All synthesised compounds presented an impressive inhibition capacity against rCPB2.8, rCPB3, and rH84Y enzymes, which are highly expressed in the amastigote stage, the target form of the parasite. Compounds 3c, f12a, and f12b were found to be effective against all isoforms. Furthermore, their intermolecular interactions were also investigated through a molecular modelling study. These compounds were highly potent against the parasite and demonstrated low cytotoxic action against mammalian cells. These results are pioneering, representing an advance in the investigation of the mechanisms behind the antileishmanial action of flavonoid derivatives. Moreover, compounds have been shown to be promising leads for the design of other cysteine protease inhibitors for the treatment of leishmaniasis diseases.
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Hada AM, Burduja N, Abbate M, Stagno C, Caljon G, Maes L, Micale N, Cordaro M, Scala A, Mazzaglia A, Piperno A. Supramolecular assembly of pentamidine and polymeric cyclodextrin bimetallic core-shell nanoarchitectures. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 13:1361-1369. [PMID: 36474926 PMCID: PMC9679597 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.13.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Advanced nanoscale antimicrobials, originated from the combination of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) with conventional antimicrobial drugs, are considered the next generation of antimicrobial agents. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for rapid, eco-friendly, and relatively inexpensive synthetic approaches for the preparation of nontoxic metallic nanostructures endowed with unique physicochemical properties. Recently, we have proposed a straightforward synthetic strategy that exploits the properties of polymeric β-cyclodextrin (PolyCD) to act as both the reducing and stabilizing agent to produce monodispersed and stable gold-based NPs either as monometallic (nanoG) structures or core-shell bimetallic (nanoGS) architectures with an external silver layer. Here, we describe the preparation of a supramolecular assembly between nanoGS and pentamidine, an antileishmanial drug endowed with a wide range of therapeutic properties (i.e., antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer). The physicochemical characterization of the supramolecular assembly (nanoGSP) in terms of size and colloidal stability was investigated by complementary spectroscopic techniques, such as UV-vis, ζ-potential, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Furthermore, the role of PolyCD during the reduction/stabilization of metal NPs was investigated for the first time by NMR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru-Milentie Hada
- Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute in Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, T. Laurian Str. 42, 400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Biomolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, M Kogalniceanu Str. 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Nina Burduja
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
- National Council of Research, Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials (CNR-ISMN), URT of Messina c/o Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Marco Abbate
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Claudio Stagno
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, S7, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, S7, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nicola Micale
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Cordaro
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
- CNR-ITAE, Istituto di Tecnologie Avanzate per l’Energia, 98126, Messina, Italy
| | - Angela Scala
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Antonino Mazzaglia
- National Council of Research, Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials (CNR-ISMN), URT of Messina c/o Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Anna Piperno
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, V.le F. Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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Budhathoki D, Deore B, Finn MG, Sanhueza CA. A Ferrier glycosylation/ cis-dihydroxylation strategy to synthesize Leishmania spp. lipophosphoglycan-associated βGal(1,4)Man disaccharide. RSC Adv 2022; 12:28207-28216. [PMID: 36320230 PMCID: PMC9530798 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra05158c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Galβ(1→4)Man disaccharide, found in the cell surface lipophosphoglycan (LPG) of Leishmania species, has been synthesized by a Ferrier glycosylation/cis-dihydroxylation strategy. This stereoselective method proved efficient for synthesizing the target saccharide in good yield. In addition, we prepared two clickable O-glycoside and phospho-glycoside versions of Galβ(1→4)Man to enable conjugation to protein carriers for further immunological and antibody-binding studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipesh Budhathoki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. John's University8000 Utopia ParkwayQueensNY 11439USA
| | - Bhavesh Deore
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. John's University8000 Utopia ParkwayQueensNY 11439USA
| | - M. G. Finn
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology901 Atlantic DriveAtlantaGA 30306USA
| | - Carlos A. Sanhueza
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. John's University8000 Utopia ParkwayQueensNY 11439USA,School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology901 Atlantic DriveAtlantaGA 30306USA
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33
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Pinheiro AC, de Souza MVN. Current leishmaniasis drug discovery. RSC Med Chem 2022; 13:1029-1043. [PMID: 36324493 PMCID: PMC9491386 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00362c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a complex protozoan infectious disease and, associated with malnutrition, poor health services and unavailability of prophylactic control measures, neglected populations are particularly affected. Current drug regimens are outdated and associated with some drawbacks, such as cytotoxicity and resistance, and the development of novel, efficacious and less toxic drug regimens is urgently required. In addition, leishmanial pathogenesis is not well established or understood, and a prophylactic vaccine is an unfulfilled goal. Human kinetoplastid protozoan infections, including leishmaniasis, have been neglected for many years, and in an attempt to overcome this situation, some new drug targets were recently identified, enabling the development of new drugs and vaccines. Compounds from new drug classes have also shown excellent antileishmanial activities, some of the most promising ones included in clinical trials, and could be a hope to control the disease burden of this endemic disease in the near future. In this review, we discuss the limitations of current control methods, explore the wide range of compounds that are being screened and identified as antileishmanial drug prototypes, summarize the advances in identifying new drug targets aiming at innovative treatments and explore the state-of-art vaccine development field, including immunomodulation strategies.
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34
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Santiago C, Ortega-Tenezaca B, Barbolla I, Fundora-Ortiz B, Arrasate S, Dea-Ayuela MA, González-Díaz H, Sotomayor N, Lete E. Prediction of Antileishmanial Compounds: General Model, Preparation, and Evaluation of 2-Acylpyrrole Derivatives. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:3928-3940. [PMID: 35946598 PMCID: PMC9986876 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In this work, the SOFT.PTML tool has been used to pre-process a ChEMBL dataset of pre-clinical assays of antileishmanial compound candidates. A comparative study of different ML algorithms, such as logistic regression (LOGR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forests (RF), has shown that the IFPTML-LOGR model presents excellent values of specificity and sensitivity (81-98%) in training and validation series. The use of this software has been illustrated with a practical case study focused on a series of 28 derivatives of 2-acylpyrroles 5a,b, obtained through a Pd(II)-catalyzed C-H radical acylation of pyrroles. Their in vitro leishmanicidal activity against visceral (L. donovani) and cutaneous (L. amazonensis) leishmaniasis was evaluated finding that compounds 5bc (IC50 = 30.87 μM, SI > 10.17) and 5bd (IC50 = 16.87 μM, SI > 10.67) were approximately 6-fold more selective than the drug of reference (miltefosine) in in vitro assays against L. amazonensis promastigotes. In addition, most of the compounds showed low cytotoxicity, CC50 > 100 μg/mL in J774 cells. Interestingly, the IFPMTL-LOGR model predicts correctly the relative biological activity of these series of acylpyrroles. A computational high-throughput screening (cHTS) study of 2-acylpyrroles 5a,b has been performed calculating >20,700 activity scores vs a large space of 647 assays involving multiple Leishmania species, cell lines, and potential target proteins. Overall, the study demonstrates that the SOFT.PTML all-in-one strategy is useful to obtain IFPTML models in a friendly interface making the work easier and faster than before. The present work also points to 2-acylpyrroles as new lead compounds worthy of further optimization as antileishmanial hits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Santiago
- Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Bernabé Ortega-Tenezaca
- Department of Computer Science and Information Technologies, University of A Coruña (UDC), 15071, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Iratxe Barbolla
- Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.,BIOFISIKA. Basque Center for Biophysics CSIC-UPV/EHU, 48940, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Brenda Fundora-Ortiz
- Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Sonia Arrasate
- Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - María Auxiliadora Dea-Ayuela
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
| | - Humberto González-Díaz
- Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.,BIOFISIKA. Basque Center for Biophysics CSIC-UPV/EHU, 48940, Bilbao, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Nuria Sotomayor
- Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Esther Lete
- Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
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Karampetsou K, Koutsoni OS, Badounas F, Angelis A, Gogou G, Skaltsounis LA, Halabalaki M, Dotsika E. Exploring the Immunotherapeutic Potential of Oleocanthal against Murine Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. PLANTA MEDICA 2022; 88:783-793. [PMID: 35803258 PMCID: PMC9343937 DOI: 10.1055/a-1843-9788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a major tropical disease with increasing global incidence. Due to limited therapeutic options with severe drawbacks, the discovery of alternative treatments based on natural bioactive compounds is important. In our previous studies we have pointed out the antileishmanial activities of olive tree-derived molecules. In this study, we aimed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial as well as the in vivo immunomodulatory effects of oleocanthal, a molecule that has recently gained increasing scientific attention. Pure oleocanthal was isolated from extra virgin olive oil through extraction and chromatography techniques. The in vitro antileishmanial effects of oleocanthal were examined with a resazurin-based assay, while its in vivo efficacy was evaluated in Leishmania major-infected BALB/c mice by determining footpad induration, parasite load in popliteal lymph nodes, histopathological outcome, antibody production, cytokine profile of stimulated splenocytes and immune gene expression, at three weeks after the termination of treatment. Oleocanthal demonstrated in vitro antileishmanial effect against both L. major promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. This effect was further documented in vivo as demonstrated by the suppressed footpad thickness, the decreased parasite load and the inflammatory cell influx at the infection site. Oleocanthal treatment led to the dominance of a Th1-type immunity linked with resistance against the disease. This study establishes strong scientific evidence for olive tree-derived natural products as possible antileishmanial agents and provides an adding value to the scientific research of oleocanthal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalliopi Karampetsou
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
- Division of Pharmacognosy and Natural Product Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Olga S. Koutsoni
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Fotis Badounas
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Transgenic Technology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Apostolis Angelis
- Division of Pharmacognosy and Natural Product Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgia Gogou
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
- Division of Pharmacognosy and Natural Product Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Leandros-Alexios Skaltsounis
- Division of Pharmacognosy and Natural Product Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Halabalaki
- Division of Pharmacognosy and Natural Product Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Associate Professor Maria Halabalaki Department of PharmacyDivision of Pharmacognosy and Natural Product
ChemistryNational and Kapodistrian University of Athens15771 Athens,
PanepistimiopolisGreece+ 30 21 07 27 47 81+ 30 21 07 27 45 94
| | - Eleni Dotsika
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
- Correspondence Dr. Eleni Dotsika Department of MicrobiologyLaboratory of Cellular ImmunologyHellenic
Pasteur Institute127 Vass. Sofias Av.11521
AthensGreece+ 30 21 06 47 88 28+ 30 21 06 47 88 28
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36
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Battista T, Federico S, Brogi S, Pozzetti L, Khan T, Butini S, Ramunno A, Fiorentino E, Orsini S, Di Muccio T, Fiorillo A, Exertier C, Di Risola D, Colotti G, Gemma S, Ilari A, Campiani G. Optimization of Potent and Specific Trypanothione Reductase Inhibitors: A Structure-Based Drug Discovery Approach. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1687-1699. [PMID: 35880849 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania spp. are responsible for up to 1 million new cases each year. The current therapeutic arsenal against Leishmania is largely inadequate, and there is an urgent need for better drugs. Trypanothione reductase (TR) represents a druggable target since it is essential for the parasite and not shared by the human host. Here, we report the optimization of a novel class of potent and selective LiTR inhibitors realized through a concerted effort involving X-ray crystallography, synthesis, structure-activity relationship (SAR) investigation, molecular modeling, and in vitro phenotypic assays. 5-Nitrothiophene-2-carboxamides 3, 6e, and 8 were among the most potent and selective TR inhibitors identified in this study. 6e and 8 displayed leishmanicidal activity in the low micromolar range coupled to SI > 50. Our studies could pave the way for the use of TR inhibitors not only against leishmaniasis but also against other trypanosomatidae due to the structural similarity of TR enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo Battista
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), c/o Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.,Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefano Federico
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Simone Brogi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Pozzetti
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Tuhina Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Stefania Butini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Anna Ramunno
- Department of Pharmacy/DIFARMA, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Eleonora Fiorentino
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Orsini
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Trentina Di Muccio
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Annarita Fiorillo
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), c/o Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.,Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Cécile Exertier
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), c/o Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Daniel Di Risola
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Gianni Colotti
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), c/o Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Sandra Gemma
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Andrea Ilari
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), c/o Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Campiani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
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Kant V, Kumar P, Ranjan R, Kumar P, Mandal D, Vijayakumar S. In silico screening, molecular dynamic simulations, and in vitro activity of selected natural compounds as an inhibitor of Leishmania donovani 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:2093-2109. [PMID: 35536513 PMCID: PMC9085559 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07532-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In Leishmania sp., the enzymes of de novo cysteine biosynthesis pathway require sulfide. Other organisms utilize sulfide through the sulfide reduction pathway, but Leishmania lacks the gene that encodes these enzymes. Hence, the major source of sulfide for Leishmania is believed to be from the action of 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST) on 3-mercapto-pyruvate (3MP). There has been no effort reported in the past to screen inhibitors against L. donovani 3MST (Ld3MST). As a result, this study examines natural compounds that are potent against Ld3MST and validates it by in vitro activity and cytotoxicity tests. Initially, a library of ~ 5000 natural compounds was subjected to molecular docking approach for screening, and the best hit was validated using a long-term molecular dynamic simulation (MD). Among the docking results, quercetine-3-rutinoside (Rutin) was deemed the best hit. The results of the MD indicated that Rutin was highly capable of interacting with the varied active site segments, possibly blocking substrate access. Additionally, promastigotes and amastigotes were tested for Rutin activity and the IC50 was found to be 40.95 and 90.09 μM, respectively. Similarly, the cytotoxicity assay revealed that Rutin was not toxic even at a concentration of 819.00 μM to THP-1 cell lines. Additionally, the Ld3MST was cloned, purified, and evaluated for enzyme activity in the presence of Rutin. Reduction in the enzyme activity (~ 85%) was observed in the presence of ~ 40 μM Rutin. Thus, this study suggests that Rutin may act as a potent inhibitor of Ld3MST. With further in vivo investigations, Rutin could be a small molecule of choice for combating leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Kant
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, Bihar, India
| | - Pawan Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, Bihar, India
| | - Ravi Ranjan
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Prakash Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, Bihar, India
| | - Debabrata Mandal
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, Bihar, India.
| | - Saravanan Vijayakumar
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India.
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Palmer-Young EC, Schwarz RS, Chen Y, Evans JD. Can floral nectars reduce transmission of Leishmania? PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010373. [PMID: 35551517 PMCID: PMC9098005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Insect-vectored Leishmania are responsible for loss of more disability-adjusted life years than any parasite besides malaria. Elucidation of the environmental factors that affect parasite transmission by vectors is essential to develop sustainable methods of parasite control that do not have off-target effects on beneficial insects or environmental health. Many phytochemicals that inhibit growth of sand fly-vectored Leishmania—which have been exhaustively studied in the search for phytochemical-based drugs—are abundant in nectars, which provide sugar-based meals to infected sand flies. Principle findings In a quantitative meta-analysis, we compare inhibitory phytochemical concentrations for Leishmania to concentrations present in floral nectar and pollen. We show that nectar concentrations of several flowering plant species exceed those that inhibit growth of Leishmania cell cultures, suggesting an unexplored, landscape ecology-based approach to reduce Leishmania transmission. Significance If nectar compounds are as effective against parasites in the sand fly gut as predicted from experiments in vitro, strategic planting of antiparasitic phytochemical-rich floral resources or phytochemically enriched baits could reduce Leishmania loads in vectors. Such interventions could provide an environmentally friendly complement to existing means of disease control. Leishmania parasites infect over a million people each year—including over 200,000 infections with deadly visceral leishmaniasis—resulting in a greater health burden than any human parasite besides malaria. Leishmania infections of humans are transmitted by blood-feeding sand flies, which also consume floral nectar. Nectar contains many chemicals that inhibit Leishmania growth and are candidate treatments for infection of humans. However, these same compounds could also reduce infection in nectar-consuming sand flies. By combining existing data on the chemistry of nectar and sensitivity of Leishmania to plant compounds, we show that some floral nectars contain sufficient chemical concentrations to inhibit growth of insect-stage Leishmania. Our results suggest that consumption of these nectars could reduce parasite loads in sand flies and transmission of parasites to new human hosts. In contrast to insecticide-based methods of sand fly control, incorporation of antiparasitic nectar sources into landscapes and domestic settings could benefit public health without threatening beneficial insects. These findings suggest an unexplored, landscape-based approach to reduce transmission of a major neglected tropical disease worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan C. Palmer-Young
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Ryan S. Schwarz
- Department of Biology, Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Yanping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jay D. Evans
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
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Imran M, Khan SA, Abida, Alshrari AS, Eltahir Mudawi MM, Alshammari MK, Harshan AA, Alshammari NA. Small molecules as kinetoplastid specific proteasome inhibitors for Leishmaniasis: a patent review from 1998 to 2021. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2022; 32:591-604. [PMID: 35220857 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2022.2045948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical infectious disease. The available limited therapeutic options for leishmaniasis are inadequate due to their poor pharmacokinetic profile, resistance, toxicity, high cost, and compliance problems. This warrants identification of new targets for the development of safer and effective anti-Leishmania therapy. The kinetoplastid specific proteasome (KSP) is a novel validated target to develop drugs against leishmaniasis. AREA COVERED : This review focuses on all the published patent applications and granted patents related to the studied small molecules as KSP inhibitors (KSPIs) against Leishmania from 1998 to December 31, 2021. EXPERT OPINION : A little amount of work has been done on KSPIs, but the study results are quite encouraging. LXE408 and GSK3494245 are two KSPIs in different phases of clinical trials. Some other small molecules have also shown KSP inhibitory potential, but they are not in clinical trials. The KSPIs are promising next-generation orally active patient compliant drugs against kinetoplastid diseases, including leishmaniasis. However, the main challenge to discover the KSPIs will be the resistance development and their selectivity against the proteasome of eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Imran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shah Alam Khan
- College of Pharmacy, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat 130, Oman
| | - Abida
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Subeh Alshrari
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Northern Border University, Arar 91431, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mohammed Kanan Alshammari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Rafha Central Hospital, North Zone, Rafha 91911, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Aishah Ali Harshan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Northern Area Armed Forces Hospital, King Khalid Military City Hospital, Hafr Al-Batin, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Noufah Aqeel Alshammari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Ibáñez-Escribano A, Fonseca-Berzal C, Martínez-Montiel M, Álvarez-Márquez M, Gómez-Núñez M, Lacueva-Arnedo M, Espinosa-Buitrago T, Martín-Pérez T, Escario JA, Merino-Montiel P, Montiel-Smith S, Gómez-Barrio A, López Ó, Fernández-Bolaños JG. Thio- and selenosemicarbazones as antiprotozoal agents against Trypanosoma cruzi and Trichomonas vaginalis. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2022; 37:781-791. [PMID: 35193444 PMCID: PMC8881069 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2041629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein, we report the preparation of a panel of Schiff bases analogues as antiprotozoal agents by modification of the stereoelectronic effects of the substituents on N-1 and N-4 and the nature of the chalcogen atom (S, Se). These compounds were evaluated towards Trypanosoma cruzi and Trichomonas vaginalis. Thiosemicarbazide 31 showed the best trypanocidal profile (epimastigotes), similar to benznidazole (BZ): IC50 (31)=28.72 μM (CL-B5 strain) and 33.65 μM (Y strain), IC50 (BZ)=25.31 μM (CL-B5) and 22.73 μM (Y); it lacked toxicity over mammalian cells (CC50 > 256 µM). Thiosemicarbazones 49, 51 and 63 showed remarkable trichomonacidal effects (IC50 =16.39, 14.84 and 14.89 µM) and no unspecific cytotoxicity towards Vero cells (CC50 ≥ 275 µM). Selenoisosters 74 and 75 presented a slightly enhanced activity (IC50=11.10 and 11.02 µM, respectively). Hydrogenosome membrane potential and structural changes were analysed to get more insight into the trichomonacidal mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Ibáñez-Escribano
- Unidad de Parasitología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Fonseca-Berzal
- Unidad de Parasitología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica Martínez-Montiel
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Ciudad Universitaria, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México
| | - Manuel Álvarez-Márquez
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - María Gómez-Núñez
- Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Manuel Lacueva-Arnedo
- Unidad de Parasitología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Espinosa-Buitrago
- Unidad de Parasitología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tania Martín-Pérez
- Departamento de Biomedicina y Biotecnología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.,Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - José Antonio Escario
- Unidad de Parasitología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Penélope Merino-Montiel
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Ciudad Universitaria, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México
| | - Sara Montiel-Smith
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Ciudad Universitaria, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México
| | - Alicia Gómez-Barrio
- Unidad de Parasitología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Madrid, Spain
| | - Óscar López
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
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Gambino D, Otero L. Facing Diseases Caused by Trypanosomatid Parasites: Rational Design of Pd and Pt Complexes With Bioactive Ligands. Front Chem 2022; 9:816266. [PMID: 35071192 PMCID: PMC8777014 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.816266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), Chagas disease or American Trypanosomiasis (CD), and leishmaniases are protozoan infections produced by trypanosomatid parasites belonging to the kinetoplastid order and they constitute an urgent global health problem. In fact, there is an urgent need of more efficient and less toxic chemotherapy for these diseases. Medicinal inorganic chemistry currently offers an attractive option for the rational design of new drugs and, in particular, antiparasitic ones. In this sense, one of the main strategies for the design of metal-based antiparasitic compounds has been the coordination of an organic ligand with known or potential biological activity, to a metal centre or an organometallic core. Classical metal coordination complexes or organometallic compounds could be designed as multifunctional agents joining, in a single molecule, different chemical species that could affect different parasitic targets. This review is focused on the rational design of palladium(II) and platinum(II) compounds with bioactive ligands as prospective drugs against trypanosomatid parasites that has been conducted by our group during the last 20 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinorah Gambino
- Área Química Inorgánica, DEC, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucía Otero
- Área Química Inorgánica, DEC, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Selenium and protozoan parasitic infections: selenocompounds and selenoproteins potential. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:49-62. [PMID: 34993638 PMCID: PMC8735723 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07400-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The current drug treatments against protozoan parasitic diseases including Chagas, malaria, leishmaniasis, and toxoplasmosis represent good examples of drug resistance mechanisms and have shown diverse side effects. Therefore, the identification of novel therapeutic strategies and drug compounds against such life-threatening diseases is urgent. According to the successful usage of selenium (Se) compounds-based therapy against some diseases, this therapeutic strategy has been recently further underlined against these parasitic diseases by targeting different parasite´s essential pathways. On the other hand, due to the important functions played by parasite selenoproteins in their biology (such as modulating the host immune response), they can be also considered as a novel therapeutic strategy by designing specific inhibitors against these important proteins. In addition, the immunomodulatory potentiality of these compounds to trigger T helper type 1 (Th1) cells and cytokine-mediated immune response for the substantial induction of proinflammatory cytokines, thus, Se, selenoproteins, and parasite selenoproteins could be further investigated to find possible vaccine antigens. Herein, we collect and present the results of some studies regarding Se-based therapy against protozoan parasitic diseases and highlight relevant information and some viewpoints that might be insightful to advance toward more effective studies in the future.
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Olías-Molero AI, de la Fuente C, Cuquerella M, Torrado JJ, Alunda JM. Antileishmanial Drug Discovery and Development: Time to Reset the Model? Microorganisms 2021; 9:2500. [PMID: 34946102 PMCID: PMC8703564 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by Leishmania species. The disease affects humans and animals, particularly dogs, provoking cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral processes depending on the Leishmania sp. and the host immune response. No vaccine for humans is available, and the control relies mainly on chemotherapy. However, currently used drugs are old, some are toxic, and the safer presentations are largely unaffordable by the most severely affected human populations. Moreover, its efficacy has shortcomings, and it has been challenged by the growing reports of resistance and therapeutic failure. This manuscript presents an overview of the currently used drugs, the prevailing model to develop new antileishmanial drugs and its low efficiency, and the impact of deconstruction of the drug pipeline on the high failure rate of potential drugs. To improve the predictive value of preclinical research in the chemotherapy of leishmaniasis, several proposals are presented to circumvent critical hurdles-namely, lack of common goals of collaborative research, particularly in public-private partnership; fragmented efforts; use of inadequate surrogate models, especially for in vivo trials; shortcomings of target product profile (TPP) guides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Isabel Olías-Molero
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.I.O.-M.); (C.d.l.F.); (M.C.)
| | - Concepción de la Fuente
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.I.O.-M.); (C.d.l.F.); (M.C.)
| | - Montserrat Cuquerella
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.I.O.-M.); (C.d.l.F.); (M.C.)
| | - Juan J. Torrado
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - José M. Alunda
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.I.O.-M.); (C.d.l.F.); (M.C.)
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Volpedo G, Huston RH, Holcomb EA, Pacheco-Fernandez T, Gannavaram S, Bhattacharya P, Nakhasi HL, Satoskar AR. From infection to vaccination: reviewing the global burden, history of vaccine development, and recurring challenges in global leishmaniasis protection. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 20:1431-1446. [PMID: 34511000 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1969231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem and the second most lethal parasitic disease in the world due to the lack of effective treatments and vaccines. Even when not lethal, leishmaniasis significantly affects individuals and communities through life-long disabilities, psycho-sociological trauma, poverty, and gender disparity in treatment. AREAS COVERED This review discusses the most relevant and recent research available on Pubmed and GoogleScholar highlighting leishmaniasis' global impact, pathogenesis, treatment options, and lack of effective control strategies. An effective vaccine is necessary to prevent morbidity and mortality, lower health care costs, and reduce the economic burden of leishmaniasis for endemic low- and middle-income countries. Since there are several forms of leishmaniasis, a pan-Leishmania vaccine without geographical restrictions is needed. This review also focuses on recent advances and common challenges in developing prophylactic strategies against leishmaniasis. EXPERT OPINION Despite advances in pre-clinical vaccine research, approval of a human leishmaniasis vaccine still faces major challenges - including manufacturing of candidate vaccines under Good Manufacturing Practices, developing well-designed clinical trials suitable in endemic countries, and defined correlates of protection. In addition, there is a need to explore Challenge Human Infection Model to avoid large trials because of fluctuating incidence and prevalence of leishmanasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Volpedo
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Ryan H Huston
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Erin A Holcomb
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Thalia Pacheco-Fernandez
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sreenivas Gannavaram
- Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Parna Bhattacharya
- Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Hira L Nakhasi
- Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Abhay R Satoskar
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Jayachandran B, Chanda K, Balamurali MM. Overview of Pathogenesis, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics of Infectious Diseases: Dengue and Zika. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:22487-22496. [PMID: 34514221 PMCID: PMC8427640 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c03536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of more virulent SARS virus has made scientists look back at other so-called neglected diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, etc. Until recently these neglected diseases have not received much attention for their control or elimination from society. Over the past decade several attempts to investigate the pathogenicity, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies for flavivirus caused diseases have been made. Herein we have reviewed the progress made toward the detection and treatment of two diseases-dengue and Zika. The above flavivirus related pathogenesis is concerned with the host immune system and known to be mediated through various receptors along with antibody-mediated disease enhancement. Moreover, researchers have been progressing toward discovering new drugs and therapeutic methods that target various stages of the flavivirus life cycle to minimize the above caused mortality and morbidity. The available diagnostics are based on serological, small molecule detection systems and point-of-care sensing devices. In this work, we have reviewed the advancements made toward understanding the pathogenesis, diagnostics, and therapeutics of the viral diseases caused by dengue and Zika.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brindha Jayachandran
- Chemistry
Division, School of Advanced Sciences, Vellore
Institute of Technology, Chennai Campus, Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road, Chennai 600 127, Tamil
Nadu, India
| | - Kaushik Chanda
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632 014, Tamil Nadu, India
- (K.C.)
| | - Musuvathi Motilal Balamurali
- Chemistry
Division, School of Advanced Sciences, Vellore
Institute of Technology, Chennai Campus, Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road, Chennai 600 127, Tamil
Nadu, India
- (M.M.B.)
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Scalese G, Machado I, Salinas G, Pérez-Díaz L, Gambino D. Heteroleptic Oxidovanadium(V) Complexes with Activity against Infective and Non-Infective Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi. Molecules 2021; 26:5375. [PMID: 34500808 PMCID: PMC8433833 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26175375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Five heteroleptic compounds, [VVO(IN-2H)(L-H)], where L are 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives and IN is a Schiff base ligand, were synthesized and characterized in both the solid and solution state. The compounds were evaluated on epimastigotes and trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi as well as on VERO cells, as a mammalian cell model. Compounds showed activity against trypomastigotes with IC50 values of 0.29-3.02 μM. IN ligand and the new [VVO2(IN-H)] complex showed negligible activity. The most active compound [VVO(IN-2H)(L2-H)], with L2 = 5-chloro-7-iodo-8-hydroxyquinoline, showed good selectivity towards the parasite and was selected to carry out further biological studies. Stability studies suggested a partial decomposition in solution. [VVO(IN-2H)(L2-H)] affects the infection potential of cell-derived trypomastigotes. Low total vanadium uptake by parasites and preferential accumulation in the soluble proteins fraction were determined. A trypanocide effect was observed when incubating epimastigotes with 10 × IC50 values of [VVO(IN-2H)(L2-H)] and the generation of ROS after treatments was suggested. Fluorescence competition measurements with DNA:ethidium bromide adduct showed a moderate DNA interaction of the complexes. In vivo toxicity study on C. elegans model showed no toxicity up to a 100 μM concentration of [VVO(IN-2H)(L2-H)]. This compound could be considered a prospective anti-T. cruzi agent that deserves further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Scalese
- Área Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay;
- Programa de Posgrados de la Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
| | - Ignacio Machado
- Área Química Analítica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay;
| | - Gustavo Salinas
- Worm Biology Lab, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay;
- Departamento de Biociencias, Facultad de Química, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
| | - Leticia Pérez-Díaz
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Moleculares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay;
| | - Dinorah Gambino
- Área Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay;
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Kourbeli V, Chontzopoulou E, Moschovou K, Pavlos D, Mavromoustakos T, Papanastasiou IP. An Overview on Target-Based Drug Design against Kinetoplastid Protozoan Infections: Human African Trypanosomiasis, Chagas Disease and Leishmaniases. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26154629. [PMID: 34361781 PMCID: PMC8348971 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26154629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The protozoan diseases Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), Chagas disease (CD), and leishmaniases span worldwide and therefore their impact is a universal concern. The present regimen against kinetoplastid protozoan infections is poor and insufficient. Target-based design expands the horizon of drug design and development and offers novel chemical entities and potential drug candidates to the therapeutic arsenal against the aforementioned neglected diseases. In this review, we report the most promising targets of the main kinetoplastid parasites, as well as their corresponding inhibitors. This overview is part of the Special Issue, entitled "Advances of Medicinal Chemistry against Kinetoplastid Protozoa (Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp.) Infections: Drug Design, Synthesis and Pharmacology".
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Kourbeli
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 84 Athens, Greece;
| | - Eleni Chontzopoulou
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (K.M.); (D.P.); (T.M.)
| | - Kalliopi Moschovou
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (K.M.); (D.P.); (T.M.)
| | - Dimitrios Pavlos
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (K.M.); (D.P.); (T.M.)
| | - Thomas Mavromoustakos
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (K.M.); (D.P.); (T.M.)
| | - Ioannis P. Papanastasiou
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 84 Athens, Greece;
- Correspondence:
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Influence of N-Methylation and Conformation on Almiramide Anti-Leishmanial Activity. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26123606. [PMID: 34204673 PMCID: PMC8231256 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The almiramide N-methylated lipopeptides exhibit promising activity against trypanosomatid parasites. A structure–activity relationship study has been performed to examine the influences of N-methylation and conformation on activity against various strains of leishmaniasis protozoan and on cytotoxicity. The synthesis and biological analysis of twenty-five analogs demonstrated that derivatives with a single methyl group on either the first or fifth residue amide nitrogen exhibited greater activity than the permethylated peptides and relatively high potency against resistant strains. Replacement of amino amide residues in the peptide, by turn inducing α amino γ lactam (Agl) and N-aminoimidazalone (Nai) counterparts, reduced typically anti-parasitic activity; however, peptide amides possessing Agl residues at the second residue retained significant potency in the unmethylated and permethylated series. Systematic study of the effects of methylation and turn geometry on anti-parasitic activity indicated the relevance of an extended conformer about the central residues, and conformational mobility by tertiary amide isomerization and turn geometry at the extremities of the active peptides.
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