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Yuan Y, Zhao Q, Suo X, Liu X, Hao Z. Anthelmintic efficacy of nitazoxanide in dogs naturally infected with Toxocara canis. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:162. [PMID: 38492070 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08168-3] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Toxocara canis (T. canis) is a gastrointestinal nematode in dogs, and its larvae also infect humans, causing severe larval migratory disease. Anthelmintic drugs have become the primary means to combat T. canis. In this study, the efficacy of nitazoxanide (NTZ) was tested against all the internal stages of T. canis, including L3 larval stage in vitro experiments and gastrointestinal worm in vivo experiments. In the in vitro experiment, after treatment with NTZ at 7.81 and 62.5 μg/mL for 12 h, the larval mortality efficacy reached 90.0 and 100.0%, respectively. In the in vivo experiments, 100 mg/kg NTZ possessed good anthelmintic efficacy against T. canis, with an egg per gram (EPG) reduction of 99.19%, and 90.00% of dogs cleared with residual worms. These results were comparable to those of the positive control drug. The highest anthelmintic efficacy was observed in the group treated with 150 mg/kg NTZ. Based on faecal egg counts, the number of T. canis eggs decreased by 100.00%, and the percentage of dogs cleared with residual worms achieved 90.00% after 7 days of treatment in the 150-mg/kg NTZ treatment group. In general, NTZ showed great potential to be applied as an anthelmintic against T. canis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyang Yuan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, People's Republic of China
- Key Biology Laboratory of Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100094, People's Republic of China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Medicinal Function of Food, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qingyu Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, People's Republic of China
- Key Biology Laboratory of Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100094, People's Republic of China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Medicinal Function of Food, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xun Suo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiwu Liu
- Qingdao Animal Husbandry Workstation, Qingdao, 266100, Shandong, China
| | - Zhihui Hao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, People's Republic of China.
- Key Biology Laboratory of Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100094, People's Republic of China.
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Medicinal Function of Food, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, Beijing, 100193, China.
- National Centre for Veterinary Drug Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing, China.
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Pavani TFA, Cirino ME, Teixeira TR, de Moraes J, Rando DGG. Targeting the Schistosoma mansoni nutritional mechanisms to design new antischistosomal compounds. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19735. [PMID: 37957227 PMCID: PMC10643403 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46959-3] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The chemical classes of semicarbazones, thiosemicarbazones, and hydrazones are present in various compounds, each demonstrating diverse biological activities. Extensive studies have revealed their potential as schistosomicidal agents. Thiosemicarbazones, in particular, have shown inhibitory effects on Schistosoma mansoni's cathepsin B1 enzyme (SmCB1), which plays a crucial role in hemoglobin degradation within the worm's gut and its nutrition processes. Consequently, SmCB1 has emerged as a promising target for novel schistosomiasis therapies. Moreover, chloroquinoline exhibits characteristics in its aromatic structure that hold promise for developing SmCB1 inhibitors, along with its interaction with hemoglobin's heme group, potentially synergizing against the parasite's gut. In this context, we report the synthesis of 22 hybrid analogs combining hydrazones and quinolines, evaluated against S. mansoni. Five of these hybrids demonstrated schistosomicidal activity in vitro, with GPQF-8Q10 being the most effective, causing worm mortality within 24 h at a concentration of 25 µM. GPQF-8Q8 proved to be the most promising in vivo, significantly reducing egg presence in feces (by 52.8%) and immature eggs in intestines (by 45.8%). These compounds exhibited low cytotoxicity in Vero cells and an in in vivo animal model (Caenorhabditis elegans), indicating a favorable selectivity index. This suggests their potential for the development of new schistosomiasis therapies. Further studies are needed to uncover specific target mechanisms, but these findings offer a promising starting point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaís F A Pavani
- Grupo de Pesquisas Químico-Farmacêuticas, GPQFfesp, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua São Nicolau, 210, 2° Andar, Centro, Diadema, São Paulo, 09913-030, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Curso de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Química da Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria E Cirino
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Doenças Negligenciadas, NPDN, Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil
| | - Thainá R Teixeira
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Doenças Negligenciadas, NPDN, Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil
| | - Josué de Moraes
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Doenças Negligenciadas, NPDN, Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniela G G Rando
- Grupo de Pesquisas Químico-Farmacêuticas, GPQFfesp, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua São Nicolau, 210, 2° Andar, Centro, Diadema, São Paulo, 09913-030, Brazil.
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Moreira-Filho JT, Neves BJ, Cajas RA, Moraes JD, Andrade CH. Artificial intelligence-guided approach for efficient virtual screening of hits against Schistosoma mansoni. Future Med Chem 2023; 15:2033-2050. [PMID: 37937522 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2023-0152] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The impact of schistosomiasis, which affects over 230 million people, emphasizes the urgency of developing new antischistosomal drugs. Artificial intelligence is vital in accelerating the drug discovery process. Methodology & results: We developed classification and regression machine learning models to predict the schistosomicidal activity of compounds not experimentally tested. The prioritized compounds were tested on schistosomula and adult stages of Schistosoma mansoni. Four compounds demonstrated significant activity against schistosomula, with 50% effective concentration values ranging from 9.8 to 32.5 μM, while exhibiting no toxicity in animal and human cell lines. Conclusion: These findings represent a significant step forward in the discovery of antischistosomal drugs. Further optimization of these active compounds can pave the way for their progression into preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Teófilo Moreira-Filho
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Bruno Junior Neves
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Rayssa Araujo Cajas
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases (NPDN), Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, 07023-070, Brazil
| | - Josué de Moraes
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases (NPDN), Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, 07023-070, Brazil
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, 74605-170, Brazil
- Center for the Research and Advancement in Fragments and molecular Targets (CRAFT), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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Henke K, Ntovas S, Xourgia E, Exadaktylos AK, Klukowska-Rötzler J, Ziaka M. Who Let the Dogs Out? Unmasking the Neglected: A Semi-Systematic Review on the Enduring Impact of Toxocariasis, a Prevalent Zoonotic Infection. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6972. [PMID: 37947530 PMCID: PMC10649795 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20216972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Toxocariasis remains an important neglected parasitic infection representing one of the most common zoonotic infections caused by the parasite Toxocara canis or, less frequently, by Toxocara cati. The epidemiology of the disease is complex due to its transmission route by accidental ingestion of embryonated Toxocara eggs or larvae from tissues from domestic or wild paratenic hosts. Even though the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control classified toxocariasis amongst the top six parasitic infections of priority to public health, global epidemiological data regarding the relationship between seropositivity and toxocariasis is limited. Although the vast majority of the infected individuals remain asymptomatic or experience a mild disease, the infection is associated with important health and socioeconomic consequences, particularly in underprivileged, tropical, and subtropical areas. Toxocariasis is a disease with multiple clinical presentations, which are classified into five distinct forms: the classical visceral larva migrans, ocular toxocariasis, common toxocariasis, covert toxocariasis, and cerebral toxocariasis or neurotoxocariasis. Anthelmintic agents, for example, albendazole or mebendazole, are the recommended treatment, whereas a combination with topical or systemic corticosteroids for specific forms is suggested. Prevention strategies include educational programs, behavioral and hygienic changes, enhancement of the role of veterinarians, and anthelmintic regimens to control active infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Henke
- Department of Internal Medicine, Thun Hospital, Krankenhausstrasse 12, 3600 Thun, Switzerland;
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland; (S.N.); (A.K.E.); (J.K.-R.)
| | - Sotirios Ntovas
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland; (S.N.); (A.K.E.); (J.K.-R.)
- Department of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, lnselspital, University Hospital, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eleni Xourgia
- Department of Heart Surgery, lnselspital, University Hospital, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland;
| | - Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland; (S.N.); (A.K.E.); (J.K.-R.)
| | - Jolanta Klukowska-Rötzler
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland; (S.N.); (A.K.E.); (J.K.-R.)
| | - Mairi Ziaka
- Department of Internal Medicine, Thun Hospital, Krankenhausstrasse 12, 3600 Thun, Switzerland;
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland; (S.N.); (A.K.E.); (J.K.-R.)
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5
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Mengarda AC, Silva TC, Silva AS, Roquini DB, Fernandes JPS, de Moraes J. Toward anthelmintic drug candidates for toxocariasis: Challenges and recent developments. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 251:115268. [PMID: 36921525 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115268] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Infections caused by parasitic helminths rank among the most prevalent infections of humans and animals. Toxocariasis, caused by nematodes of the genus Toxocara, is one of the most widespread and economically important zoonotic parasitic infections that humans share with dogs and cats. Despite the completion of the Toxocara canis draft genome project, which has been an important step towards advancing the understanding of this parasite and the search for drug targets, the treatment of toxocariasis has been dependent on a limited set of drugs, necessitating the search for novel anthelmintic agents, specially against Toxocara larvae in tissues. Given that research, development, and innovation are crucial to finding appropriate solutions in the fight against helminthiasis, this paper reviews the progress made in the discovery of anthelmintic drug candidates for toxocariasis. The main compounds reported in the recent years regards on analogues of albendazole, reactive quinone derivatives and natural produts and its analogues. Nanoparticles and formulations were also reviewed. The in vitro and/or in vivo anthelmintic properties of such alternatives are herein discussed as well as the opportunities and challenges for treatment of human toxocariasis. The performed review clarify that the scarcity of validated molecular targets and limited chemical space explored are the main bottlenecks for advancing in the field of anti-Toxocara agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Mengarda
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Praça Tereza Cristina 229, 07023-070, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil.
| | - Tais C Silva
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Praça Tereza Cristina 229, 07023-070, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil.
| | - Aline S Silva
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Praça Tereza Cristina 229, 07023-070, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil.
| | - Daniel B Roquini
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Praça Tereza Cristina 229, 07023-070, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil.
| | - João Paulo S Fernandes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, campus Diadema, Rua São Nicolau 210, 09913-030, Diadema, SP, Brazil.
| | - Josué de Moraes
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Praça Tereza Cristina 229, 07023-070, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil.
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Neolignans isolated from Saururus cernuus L. (Saururaceae) exhibit efficacy against Schistosoma mansoni. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19320. [PMID: 36369516 PMCID: PMC9652300 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23110-2] [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: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by the blood fluke of the genus Schistosoma, affects over 230 million people, especially in developing countries. Despite the significant economic and public health consequences, only one drug is currently available for treatment of schistosomiasis, praziquantel. Thus, there is an urgent demand for new anthelmintic agents. Based on our continuous studies involving the chemical prospection of floristic biodiversity aiming to discover new bioactive compounds, this work reports the in vitro antiparasitic activity against Schistosoma mansoni adult worms of neolignans threo-austrobailignan-6 and verrucosin, both isolated from Saururus cernuus L. (Saururaceae). These neolignans showed a significant in vitro schistosomicidal activity, with EC50 values of 12.6-28.1 µM. Further analysis revealed a pronounced reduction in the number of S. mansoni eggs. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed morphological alterations when schistosomes were exposed to either threo-austrobailignan-6 or verrucosin. These relevant antischistosomal properties were accompanied by low cytotoxicity potential against the animal (Vero) and human (HaCaT) cell lines, resulting in a high selectivity index. Considering the promising chemical and biological properties of threo-austrobailignan-6 and verrucosin, this research should be of interest to those in the area of neglected diseases and in particular antischistosomal drug discovery.
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