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Yan M, Liu H, Su Y, Bi X, Yang N, Lin R, Lü G. Inhibition of AMPK activation in Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto limits the parasite's glucose metabolism and survival. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0120223. [PMID: 38349157 PMCID: PMC10916388 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01202-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by larvae of the Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) cluster. There is an urgent need to develop new drug targets and drug molecules to treat CE. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a serine/threonine protein kinase consisting of α, β, and γ subunits, plays a key role in the regulation of energy metabolism. However, the role of AMPK in regulating glucose metabolism in E. granulosus s.l. and its effects on parasite viability is unknown. In this study, we found that targeted knockdown of EgAMPKα or a small-molecule AMPK inhibitor inhibited the viability of E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) and disrupted the ultrastructure. The results of in vivo experiments showed that the AMPK inhibitor had a significant therapeutic effect on E. granulosus s.s.-infected mice and resulted in the loss of cellular structures of the germinal layer. In addition, the inhibition of the EgAMPK/EgGLUT1 pathway limited glucose uptake and glucose metabolism functions in E. granulosus s.s.. Overall, our results suggest that EgAMPK can be a potential drug target for CE and that inhibition of EgAMPK activation is an effective strategy for the treatment of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhi Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment of Central Asian High Incidence Diseases, Clinical Medical Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment of Central Asian High Incidence Diseases, Clinical Medical Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Yansen Su
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
- Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaojuan Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment of Central Asian High Incidence Diseases, Clinical Medical Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Ning Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment of Central Asian High Incidence Diseases, Clinical Medical Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Renyong Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment of Central Asian High Incidence Diseases, Clinical Medical Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
- Basic Medical College, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Guodong Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment of Central Asian High Incidence Diseases, Clinical Medical Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
- College of Pharmacy, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
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