1
|
Xu Q, Duan YY, Pan M, Jin QW, Tao JP, Huang SY. In Vitro Evaluation Reveals Effect and Mechanism of Artemether against Toxoplasma gondii. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13040476. [PMID: 37110135 PMCID: PMC10145583 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the limited effectiveness of existing drugs for the treatment of toxoplasmosis, there is a dire need for the discovery of new therapeutic options. Artemether is an important drug for malaria and several studies have indicated that it also exhibits anti-T. gondii activity. However, its specific effect and mechanisms are still not clear. To elucidate its specific role and potential mechanism, we first evaluated its cytotoxicity and anti-Toxoplasma effect on human foreskin fibroblast cells, and then analyzed its inhibitory activity during T. gondii invasion and intracellular proliferation. Finally, we examined its effect on mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in T. gondii. The CC50 value of artemether was found to be 866.4 μM, and IC50 was 9.035 μM. It exhibited anti-T. gondii activity and inhibited the growth of T. gondii in a dose-dependent manner. We also found that the inhibition occurred primarily in intracellular proliferation, achieved by reducing the mitochondrial membrane integrity of T. gondii and stimulating ROS production. These findings suggest that the mechanism of artemether against T. gondii is related to a change in the mitochondrial membrane and the increase in ROS production, which may provide a theoretical basis for optimizing artemether derivatives and further improving their anti-Toxoplasma efficacy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Xu
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yin-Yan Duan
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Ming Pan
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Qi-Wang Jin
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jian-Ping Tao
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Si-Yang Huang
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mefloquine loaded niosomes as a promising approach for the treatment of acute and chronic toxoplasmosis. Acta Trop 2023; 239:106810. [PMID: 36581225 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a disease with a worldwide distribution and significant morbidity and mortality. In search of effective treatment, mefloquine (MQ) was repurposed and loaded with niosomes to treat acute and chronic phases of toxoplasmosis in experimental mice. Mice were orally inoculated with 20 cysts of Toxoplasma gondii (ME 49 strain) for the acute model of infection and 10 cysts for the chronic model of infection. Infected mice were dosed with MQ solution or MQ-niosomes at 50 mg/kg/day, starting from the second day post-infection (PI) (acute model) or the fifth week PI (chronic model), and this was continued for six consecutive days. The effects of MQ solution and MQ-niosomes were compared with a pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine (PYR/SDZ) dosing combination as mortality rates, brain cyst number, inflammatory score, and immunohistochemical studies that included an estimation of apoptotic cells (TUNEL assays). In the acute infection model, MQ solution and MQ-niosomes significantly reduced the mortality rate from 45% to 25 and 10%, respectively, compared with infected untreated controls, and decreased the number of brain cysts by 51.5% and 66.9%, respectively. In the chronic infection model, cyst reduction reached 80.9% and 12.3% for MQ solution and MQ-niosomes treatments, respectively. MQ-niosomes significantly decreased inflammation induced by acute or chronic T. gondii infection. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that MQ solution and MQ-niosomes significantly increased the number of TUNEL-positive cells in brain tissue, indicative of induction of apoptosis. Collectively, these results indicate that MQ-niosomes may provide a useful delivery strategy to treat both acute and chronic toxoplasmosis.
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang X, Chen J, Zheng J. The roles of COX-2 in protozoan infection. Front Immunol 2023; 14:955616. [PMID: 36875123 PMCID: PMC9978824 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.955616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Protozoan diseases cause great harm in animal husbandry and require human-provided medical treatment. Protozoan infection can induce changes in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. The role played by COX-2 in the response to protozoan infection is complex. COX-2 induces and regulates inflammation by promoting the synthesis of different prostaglandins (PGs), which exhibit a variety of biological activities and participate in pathophysiological processes in the body in a variety of ways. This review explains the roles played by COX-2 in protozoan infection and analyzes the effects of COX-2-related drugs in protozoan diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinlei Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jingtong Zheng
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Moreira Souza AC, Grabe-Guimarães A, Cruz JDS, Santos-Miranda A, Farah C, Teixeira Oliveira L, Lucas A, Aimond F, Sicard P, Mosqueira VCF, Richard S. Mechanisms of artemether toxicity on single cardiomyocytes and protective effect of nanoencapsulation. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:4448-4463. [PMID: 32608017 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The artemisinin derivative, artemether, has antimalarial activity with potential neurotoxic and cardiotoxic effects. Artemether in nanocapsules (NC-ATM) is more efficient than free artemether for reducing parasitaemia and increasing survival of Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. NCs also prevent prolongation of the QT interval of the ECG. Here, we assessed cellular cardiotoxicity of artemether and how this toxicity was prevented by nanoencapsulation. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Mice were treated with NC-ATM orally (120 mg·kg-1 twice daily) for 4 days. Other mice received free artemether, blank NCs, and vehicle for comparison. We measured single-cell contraction, intracellular Ca2+ transient using fluorescent Indo-1AM Ca2+ dye, and electrical activity using the patch-clamp technique in freshly isolated left ventricular myocytes. The acute effect of free artemether was also tested on cardiomyocytes of untreated animals. KEY RESULTS Artemether prolonged action potentials (AP) upon acute exposure (at 0.1, 1, and 10 μM) of cardiomyocytes from untreated mice or after in vivo treatment. This prolongation was unrelated to blockade of K+ currents, increased Ca2+ currents or promotion of a sustained Na+ current. AP lengthening was abolished by the NCX inhibitor SEA-0400. Artemether promoted irregular Ca2+ transients during pacing and spontaneous Ca2+ events during resting periods. NC-ATM prevented all effects. Blank NCs had no effects compared with vehicle. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Artemether induced NCX-dependent AP lengthening (explaining QTc prolongation) and disrupted Ca2+ handling, both effects increasing pro-arrhythmogenic risks. NCs prevented these adverse effects, providing a safe alternative to the use of artemether alone, especially to treat malaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Moreira Souza
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program (CiPharma), Pharmacy School, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Physiologie et Médecine Expérimentale du Cœur et des Muscles (PhyMedExp), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Andrea Grabe-Guimarães
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program (CiPharma), Pharmacy School, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jader Dos Santos Cruz
- Department of Immunology and Biochemistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Artur Santos-Miranda
- Department of Immunology and Biochemistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Charlotte Farah
- Physiologie et Médecine Expérimentale du Cœur et des Muscles (PhyMedExp), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Liliam Teixeira Oliveira
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program (CiPharma), Pharmacy School, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Physiologie et Médecine Expérimentale du Cœur et des Muscles (PhyMedExp), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Alexandre Lucas
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires (I2MC), Inserm/Université Paul Sabatier UMR1048, Toulouse, France
| | - Franck Aimond
- Physiologie et Médecine Expérimentale du Cœur et des Muscles (PhyMedExp), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Sicard
- Physiologie et Médecine Expérimentale du Cœur et des Muscles (PhyMedExp), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Vanessa Carla Furtado Mosqueira
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program (CiPharma), Pharmacy School, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sylvain Richard
- Physiologie et Médecine Expérimentale du Cœur et des Muscles (PhyMedExp), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zaki L, Ghaffarifar F, Sharifi Z, Horton J, Sadraei J. Effect of Imiquimod on Tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii and Infected Macrophages in vitro and in BALB/c Mice. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:387. [PMID: 32850486 PMCID: PMC7412631 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment for toxoplasmosis is not completely successful because of their unwanted side effects, and new treatments are needed. Imiquimod has ability to moderate immune response and used to treat a wide variety of infections and tumors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of imiquimod on the tachyzoites of T. gondii and infected macrophages in vitro and in BALB/c mice. The viability of T. gondii was assessed in the presence of various concentrations of imiquimod by direct counting after 6 and 24 h. The MTT assay was used to identify the viability of uninfected macrophages. The apoptotic effects were determined with flow cytometry on the tachyzoites and infected macrophages. For evaluation of parasite load in pre-treatment or post-treatment of macrophages Quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) was performed. For in vivo experiments, BALB/c mice received imiquimod before and after challenge with parasites. The mortality rate of mice, parasite numbers in spleen, and the INF-γ and IL-4 cytokine levels in spleen lymphocytes were evaluated. Imiquimod demonstrated anti-Toxoplasma effects by reducing the number of tachyzoites. The results of flow cytometry for drug-treated tachyzoites showed that apoptosis did not rise significantly relative to the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, apoptosis was enhanced in infected macrophages as the concentration of imiquimod was reduced. The parasitic burden in imiquimod pretreated macrophages was significantly lower than those treated after infection (p < 0.01). A marked reduction was observed in survival rate, parasite load and INF-γ level in BALB/c mice that received imiquimod before parasitic challenge relative to those received drug after parasitic challenge (p < 0.01). Overall, imiquimod in the pretreated group had greater anti-Toxoplasma effects than imiquimod in posttreated group in vitro and in vivo. imiquimod may be considered as a candidate for use against Toxoplasmosis both therapeutically and prophylactically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leila Zaki
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Ghaffarifar
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zohreh Sharifi
- Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Javid Sadraei
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
KarimiPourSaryazdi A, Ghaffarifar F, Dalimi A, Dayer MS. In-vitro and in-vivo comparative effects of the spring and autumn-harvested Artemisia aucheri Bioss extracts on Leishmania major. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2020; 257:112910. [PMID: 32344159 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.112910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Artemisia aucheri Bioss contains flavonoid, coumarin and santonin with antioxidant, antimicrobial and antileishmanial effects. The current study was aimed to comparatively evaluate the effects of spring and autumn extracts of A. aucheri Bioss on Leishmania major both in-vitro and in-vivo conditions. METHODS HPLC analysis was used to evaluate the percentages of compounds in spring and autumn extracts of A. aucheri. For in-vitro assay, the effect of different concentrations of spring and autumn extracts of A. aucheri was tested on L. major promastigotes and amastigotes. MTT and flow cytometry methods were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity and probable apoptosis of A. aucheri extracts on L. major promastigotes. On the other hand, for in-vivo assay, the extracts were used as ointments to treat lesions developed on BALB/c mice after 28 days post inoculation of L. major. The diameter of lesions and the survival rates of infected BALB/c mice were measured weekly for a period of two months. RESULTS The HPLC analysis showed the substance Quercitrin was present in the spring A. aucheri extract but not in the autumn extract. The mean numbers of amastigotes in each treated macrophage with the spring and autumn A. aucheri extracts were 1.2 and 1.8 respectively, which showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry revealed that the spring and autumn A. aucheri extracts caused about 32% and 3.78% apoptosis respectively. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of spring and autumn A. aucheri extracts to amastigotes were determined to be 90 μg/mL and 183 μg/mL respectiovely. In-vivo, the diameter of lesions treated with the spring A. aucheri extract was significantly less (P < 0.05) compared to those treated with the autumn extract (2.6 and 7.8 mm respectively). Also, mice treated with spring A. aucheri extract had higher survival rates compared to control group. CONCLUSION Given the above results, it can be concluded that spring A. aucheri extract has a greater fatality effect on L. major promastigotes in-vitro compared to the autum extract. In addition, the spring extract has stronger therapeutic effect on lesions caused by L. major in BALB/c mice than the autum extract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amir KarimiPourSaryazdi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Ghaffarifar
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Abdolhossein Dalimi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Saaid Dayer
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Susceptibility of Toxoplasma gondii to Ethanolic Extract of Tinospora crispa in Vero Cells. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 2019:2916547. [PMID: 31827548 PMCID: PMC6885813 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2916547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background Toxoplasmosis remains widely distributed globally and is one of the major neglected parasitic zoonotic infections. The infection is still endemic in most parts of the world due to poor control as well as challenges of the currently used medications which can be overcome by using natural products. This study evaluated the effect of ethanolic extract from the stem of Tinospora crispa (EETC) on host cell invasion and intracellular replication of Toxoplasma gondii. Method The stem powder of T. crispa was soaked in absolute ethanol for 72 hours. The resulting ethanolic extract was screened for the presence of phytochemicals. Vero cells monolayer in 96-well plate was infected with RH strain of T. gondii and treated with concentrations of the EETC, Veratrine alkaloid, and clindamycin ranging from 1.56 to 200 μg/mL. MTT assay was conducted after 24 hours to evaluate the cytotoxicity and antiparasitic activities of the EETC. Four and 24 hours treatment models were adapted to assess the infection index and intracellular proliferation of T. Results The study revealed that the EETC had no cytotoxic effects on Vero cells with IC50 = 179 μg/mL, as compared to clindamycin (IC50 = 116.5 μg/mL) and Veratrine alkaloid (IC50 = 60.4 μg/mL). The EETC had good anti-toxoplasma activities with IC50 = 6.31 μg/mL in comparison with clindamycin (IC50 = 8.33 μg/mL) and Veratrine alkaloid (IC50 = 14.25 μg/mL). The EETC caused more than 70% and 80% reduction in infection index and intracellular proliferation in both treatment models, respectively. Conclusion This in vitro study showed that the EETC contains promising phytochemicals effective against T. gondii and safe to the host cells.
Collapse
|
8
|
Giovati L, Santinoli C, Mangia C, Vismarra A, Belletti S, D'Adda T, Fumarola C, Ciociola T, Bacci C, Magliani W, Polonelli L, Conti S, Kramer LH. Novel Activity of a Synthetic Decapeptide Against Toxoplasma gondii Tachyzoites. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:753. [PMID: 29731744 PMCID: PMC5920037 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The killer peptide KP is a synthetic decapeptide derived from the sequence of the variable region of a recombinant yeast killer toxin-like microbicidal single-chain antibody. KP proved to exert significant activities against diverse microbial and viral pathogens through different mechanisms of action, but little is known of its effect on apicomplexan protozoa. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of KP against Toxoplasma gondii, a globally widespread protozoan parasite of great medical interest. The effect of KP treatment and its potential mechanism of action on T. gondii were evaluated by various methods, including light microscopy, quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In the presence of KP, the number of T. gondii tachyzoites able to invade Vero cells and the parasite intracellular proliferation were significantly reduced. Morphological observation and analysis of apoptotic markers suggested that KP is able to trigger an apoptosis-like cell death in T. gondii. Overall, our results indicate that KP could be a promising candidate for the development of new anti-Toxoplasma drugs with a novel mechanism of action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Giovati
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Claudia Santinoli
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Carlo Mangia
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Alice Vismarra
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Silvana Belletti
- Laboratory of Histology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Tiziana D'Adda
- Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Claudia Fumarola
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Tecla Ciociola
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Cristina Bacci
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Walter Magliani
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Luciano Polonelli
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Stefania Conti
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Laura H Kramer
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| |
Collapse
|