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Molecular Targets Implicated in the Antiparasitic and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of the Phytochemical Curcumin in Trichomoniasis. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25225321. [PMID: 33202696 PMCID: PMC7697451 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25225321] [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: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomoniasis, is the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Although metronidazole (MDZ) is the recommended treatment, several strains of the parasite are resistant to MDZ, and new treatments are required. Curcumin (CUR) is a polyphenol with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiparasitic properties. In this study, we evaluated the effects of CUR on two biochemical targets: on proteolytic activity and hydrogenosomal metabolism in Trichomonas vaginalis. We also investigated the role of CUR on pro-inflammatory responses induced in RAW 264.7 phagocytic cells by parasite proteinases on pro-inflammatory mediators such as the nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), chaperone heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and glucocorticoid receptor (mGR). CUR inhibited the growth of T. vaginalis trophozoites, with an IC50 value between 117 ± 7 μM and 173 ± 15 μM, depending on the culture phase. CUR increased pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PfoD), hydrogenosomal enzyme expression and inhibited the proteolytic activity of parasite proteinases. CUR also inhibited NO production and decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in macrophages. The findings demonstrate the potential usefulness of CUR as an antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory treatment for trichomoniasis. It could be used to control the disease and mitigate the associated immunopathogenic effects.
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Song HO. Influence of 120 kDa Pyruvate:Ferredoxin Oxidoreductase on Pathogenicity of Trichomonas vaginalis. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2016; 54:71-4. [PMID: 26951982 PMCID: PMC4792314 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2016.54.1.71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellate protozoan parasite and commonly infected the lower genital tract in women and men. Iron is a known nutrient for growth of various pathogens, and also reported to be involved in establishment of trichomoniasis. However, the exact mechanism was not clarified. In this study, the author investigated whether the 120 kDa protein of T. vaginalis may be involved in pathogenicity of trichomonads. Antibodies against 120 kDa protein of T. vaginalis, which was identified as pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) by peptide analysis of MALDI-TOF-MS, were prepared in rabbits. Pretreatment of T. vaginalis with anti-120 kDa Ab decreased the proliferation and adherence to vaginal epithelial cells (MS74) of T. vaginalis. Subcutaneous tissue abscess in anti-120 kDa Ab-treated T. vaginalis-injected mice was smaller in size than that of untreated T. vaginalis-infected mice. Collectively, the 120 kDa protein expressed by iron may be involved in proliferation, adhesion to host cells, and abscess formation, thereby may influence on the pathogenicity of T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Ouk Song
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu 42472, Korea
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Figueroa-Angulo EE, Calla-Choque JS, Mancilla-Olea MI, Arroyo R. RNA-Binding Proteins in Trichomonas vaginalis: Atypical Multifunctional Proteins. Biomolecules 2015; 5:3354-95. [PMID: 26703754 PMCID: PMC4693282 DOI: 10.3390/biom5043354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron homeostasis is highly regulated in vertebrates through a regulatory system mediated by RNA-protein interactions between the iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) that interact with an iron responsive element (IRE) located in certain mRNAs, dubbed the IRE-IRP regulatory system. Trichomonas vaginalis, the causal agent of trichomoniasis, presents high iron dependency to regulate its growth, metabolism, and virulence properties. Although T. vaginalis lacks IRPs or proteins with aconitase activity, possesses gene expression mechanisms of iron regulation at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. However, only one gene with iron regulation at the transcriptional level has been described. Recently, our research group described an iron posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism in the T. vaginalis tvcp4 and tvcp12 cysteine proteinase mRNAs. The tvcp4 and tvcp12 mRNAs have a stem-loop structure in the 5'-coding region or in the 3'-UTR, respectively that interacts with T. vaginalis multifunctional proteins HSP70, α-Actinin, and Actin under iron starvation condition, causing translation inhibition or mRNA stabilization similar to the previously characterized IRE-IRP system in eukaryotes. Herein, we summarize recent progress and shed some light on atypical RNA-binding proteins that may participate in the iron posttranscriptional regulation in T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa E Figueroa-Angulo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, D.F., Mexico.
| | - Jaeson S Calla-Choque
- Laboratorio de Inmunopatología en Neurocisticercosis, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, Urb. Ingeniería, S.M.P., Lima 15102, Peru.
| | - Maria Inocente Mancilla-Olea
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, D.F., Mexico.
| | - Rossana Arroyo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, D.F., Mexico.
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dos Santos O, de Vargas Rigo G, Frasson AP, Macedo AJ, Tasca T. Optimal Reference Genes for Gene Expression Normalization in Trichomonas vaginalis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138331. [PMID: 26393928 PMCID: PMC4579074 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is the etiologic agent of trichomonosis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. This infection is associated with several health consequences, including cervical and prostate cancers and HIV acquisition. Gene expression analysis has been facilitated because of available genome sequences and large-scale transcriptomes in T. vaginalis, particularly using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), one of the most used methods for molecular studies. Reference genes for normalization are crucial to ensure the accuracy of this method. However, to the best of our knowledge, a systematic validation of reference genes has not been performed for T. vaginalis. In this study, the transcripts of nine candidate reference genes were quantified using qRT-PCR under different cultivation conditions, and the stability of these genes was compared using the geNorm and NormFinder algorithms. The most stable reference genes were α-tubulin, actin and DNATopII, and, conversely, the widely used T. vaginalis reference genes GAPDH and β-tubulin were less stable. The PFOR gene was used to validate the reliability of the use of these candidate reference genes. As expected, the PFOR gene was upregulated when the trophozoites were cultivated with ferrous ammonium sulfate when the DNATopII, α-tubulin and actin genes were used as normalizing gene. By contrast, the PFOR gene was downregulated when the GAPDH gene was used as an internal control, leading to misinterpretation of the data. These results provide an important starting point for reference gene selection and gene expression analysis with qRT-PCR studies of T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odelta dos Santos
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Amanda Piccoli Frasson
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alexandre José Macedo
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Tiana Tasca
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Cheng WH, Huang KY, Huang PJ, Hsu JH, Fang YK, Chiu CH, Tang P. Nitric oxide maintains cell survival of Trichomonas vaginalis upon iron depletion. Parasit Vectors 2015. [PMID: 26205151 PMCID: PMC4513698 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1000-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Iron plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Trichomonas vaginalis, the causative agent of highly prevalent human trichomoniasis. T. vaginalis resides in the vaginal region, where the iron concentration is constantly changing. Hence, T. vaginalis must adapt to variations in iron availability to establish and maintain an infection. The free radical signaling molecules reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) have been proven to participate in iron deficiency in eukaryotes. However, little is known about the roles of these molecules in iron-deficient T. vaginalis. Methods T. vaginalis cultured in iron-rich and -deficient conditions were collected for all experiments in this study. Next generation RNA sequencing was conducted to investigate the impact of iron on transcriptome of T. vaginalis. The cell viabilities were monitored after the trophozoites treated with the inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (L-NG-monomethyl arginine, L-NMMA) and proteasome (MG132). Hydrogenosomal membrane potential was measured using JC-1 staining. Results We demonstrated that NO rather than ROS accumulates in iron-deficient T. vaginalis. The level of NO was blocked by MG132 and L-NMMA, indicating that NO production is through a proteasome and arginine dependent pathway. We found that the inhibition of proteasome activity shortened the survival of iron-deficient cells compared with untreated iron-deficient cells. Surprisingly, the addition of arginine restored both NO level and the survival of proteasome-inhibited cells, suggesting that proteasome-derived NO is crucial for cell survival under iron-limited conditions. Additionally, NO maintains the hydrogenosomal membrane potential, a determinant for cell survival, emphasizing the cytoprotective effect of NO on iron-deficient T. vaginalis. Collectively, we determined that NO produced by the proteasome prolonged the survival of iron-deficient T. vaginalis via maintenance of the hydrogenosomal functions. Conclusion The findings in this study provide a novel role of NO in adaptation to iron-deficient stress in T. vaginalis and shed light on a potential therapeutic strategy for trichomoniasis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1000-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Hung Cheng
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Kuo-Yang Huang
- Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Po-Jung Huang
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Bioinformatics Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Jo-Hsuan Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Kai Fang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Cheng-Hsun Chiu
- Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Petrus Tang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Bioinformatics Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
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Hydrogenosome metabolism is the key target for antiparasitic activity of resveratrol against Trichomonas vaginalis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 57:2476-84. [PMID: 23478970 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00009-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Metronidazole (MDZ) and related 5-nitroimidazoles are the recommended drugs for treatment of trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. However, novel treatment options are needed, as recent reports have claimed resistance to these drugs in T. vaginalis isolates. In this study, we analyzed for the first time the in vitro effects of the natural polyphenol resveratrol (RESV) on T. vaginalis. At concentrations of between 25 and 100 μM, RESV inhibited the in vitro growth of T. vaginalis trophozoites; doses of 25 μM exerted a cytostatic effect, and higher doses exerted a cytotoxic effect. At these concentrations, RESV caused inhibition of the specific activity of a 120-kDa [Fe]-hydrogenase (Tvhyd). RESV did not affect Tvhyd gene expression and upregulated pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase (a hydrogenosomal enzyme) gene expression only at a high dose (100 μM). At doses of 50 to 100 μM, RESV also caused overexpression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), a protective protein found in the hydrogenosome of T. vaginalis. The results demonstrate the potential of RESV as an antiparasitic treatment for trichomoniasis and suggest that the mechanism of action involves induction of hydrogenosomal dysfunction. In view of the results, we propose hydrogenosomal metabolism as a key target in the design of novel antiparasitic drugs.
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Ahn MH, Song HO, Ryu JS. Trichomonas vaginalis-induced neutrophil apoptosis causes anti-inflammatory cytokine production by human monocyte-derived macrophages. Parasite Immunol 2011; 30:410-6. [PMID: 18492033 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2008.01037.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Neutrophils are the predominant inflammatory cells found in the vaginal discharge of patients with a Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Neutrophils have a shorter life span than other leucocytes. Our previous study indicated that live T. vaginalis alters Mcl-1 expression and caspase-3 activation, thereby inducing apoptosis of human neutrophils. However, it was previously unknown that the apoptotic neutrophils brought about by T. vaginalis can influence vaginal inflammation. Thus, human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) were incubated with T. vaginalis-induced apoptotic neutrophils. Cytokine production and phagocytosis by HMDM were evaluated by ELISA and myeloperoxidase stain, respectively. HMDM showed increased anti-inflammatory cytokine production (IL-10) and decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, compared with macrophages alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- M H Ahn
- Department of Parasitology and Brain Korea 21 for Medical Science, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Responsiveness of Trichomonas vaginalis to iron concentrations: Evidence for a post-transcriptional iron regulation by an IRE/IRP-like system. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2009; 9:1065-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2009.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2009] [Revised: 05/28/2009] [Accepted: 06/08/2009] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Han IH, Goo SY, Park SJ, Hwang SJ, Kim YS, Yang MS, Ahn MH, Ryu JS. Proinflammatory cytokine and nitric oxide production by human macrophages stimulated with Trichomonas vaginalis. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2009; 47:205-12. [PMID: 19724692 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2009.47.3.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2009] [Revised: 08/03/2009] [Accepted: 08/05/2009] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis commonly causes vaginitis and perhaps cervicitis in women and urethritis in men and women. Macrophages are important immune cells in response to T. vaginalis infection. In this study, we investigated whether human macrophages could be involved in inflammation induced by T. vaginalis. Human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) were co-cultured with T. vaginalis. Live, opsonized-live trichomonads, and T. vaginalis lysates increased proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6 by HMDM. The involvement of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB signaling pathway in cytokine production induced by T. vaginalis was confirmed by phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65 NF-kappaB. In addition, stimulation with live T. vaginalis induced marked augmentation of nitric oxide (NO) production and expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) levels in HMDM. However, trichomonad-induced NF-kappaB activation and TNF-alpha production in macrophages were significantly inhibited by inhibition of iNOS levels with L-NMMA (NO synthase inhibitor). Moreover, pretreatment with NF-kappaB inhibitors (PDTC or Bay11-7082) caused human macrophages to produce less TNF-alpha. These results suggest that T. vaginalis stimulates human macrophages to produce proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, and NO. In particular, we showed that T. vaginalis induced TNF-alpha production in macrophages through NO-dependent activation of NF-kappaB, which might be closely involved in inflammation caused by T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ik-Hwan Han
- Department of Environmental Biology & Medical Parasitology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Trichomonas vaginalis: The adhesins AP51 and AP65 bind heme and hemoglobin. Exp Parasitol 2009; 121:300-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2008.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2008] [Revised: 11/20/2008] [Accepted: 11/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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