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Diethelm LTH, Ramos ABDSB, de Lorena GB, Trajano BI, do Espírito Santo RD, de Menezes RPB, Scotti MT, Colombo FA, Marques MJ, Correia CRD, Reimão JQ. First Description of Marinoquinoline Derivatives' Activity against Toxoplasma gondii. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:262. [PMID: 38399316 PMCID: PMC10891983 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020262] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a globally prevalent zoonotic disease with significant clinical implications, including neurotoxoplasmosis, a leading cause of cerebral lesions in AIDS patients. The current pharmacological treatments for toxoplasmosis face clinical limitations, necessitating the urgent development of new therapeutics. Natural sources have yielded diverse bioactive compounds, serving as the foundation for clinically used derivatives. The exploration of marine bacteria-derived natural products has led to marinoquinolines, which feature a pyrroloquinoline core and demonstrate in vitro and in vivo anti-Plasmodium activity. This study investigates the in vitro anti-Toxoplasma gondii potential of six marinoquinoline derivatives. Additionally, it conducts absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) predictions, and evaluates the in vivo efficacy of one selected compound. The compounds displayed half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values between 1.31 and 3.78 µM and half-maximal cytotoxic concentration (CC50) values ranging from 4.16 to 30.51 µM, resulting in selectivity indices (SI) from 3.18 to 20.85. MQ-1 exhibiting the highest in vitro SI, significantly reduced tachyzoite numbers in the peritoneum of RH-infected Swiss mice when it was orally administered at 12.5 mg/kg/day for eight consecutive days. Also, MQ-1 significantly reduced the cerebral parasite burden in chronically ME49 infected C57BL/6 mice when it was orally administered at 25 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days. These findings underscore the promising anti-T. gondii activity of marinoquinolines and their potential as novel therapeutic agents against this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Tamie Hirata Diethelm
- Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí 13202-550, Brazil
| | - Amanda Bruno da Silva Bellini Ramos
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Brazil; (A.B.d.S.B.R.); (F.A.C.); (M.J.M.)
| | - Giovanna Braga de Lorena
- Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí 13202-550, Brazil
| | - Bruna Inácio Trajano
- Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil (R.D.d.E.S.); (C.R.D.C.)
| | | | - Renata Priscila Barros de Menezes
- Programa de Pós-Graduacão em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos Bioativos (PgPNSB), Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos (IPeFarM), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil (M.T.S.)
| | - Marcus Tullius Scotti
- Programa de Pós-Graduacão em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos Bioativos (PgPNSB), Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos (IPeFarM), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil (M.T.S.)
| | - Fabio Antonio Colombo
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Brazil; (A.B.d.S.B.R.); (F.A.C.); (M.J.M.)
| | - Marcos José Marques
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Brazil; (A.B.d.S.B.R.); (F.A.C.); (M.J.M.)
| | | | - Juliana Quero Reimão
- Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí 13202-550, Brazil
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dos Santos BR, Ramos ABDSB, de Menezes RPB, Scotti MT, Colombo FA, Marques MJ, Reimão JQ. Anti- Toxoplasma gondii screening of MMV pandemic response box and evaluation of RWJ-67657 efficacy in chronically infected mice. Parasitology 2023; 150:1226-1235. [PMID: 37859414 PMCID: PMC10941209 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a significant public health concern with limited therapeutic options. The medicines for malaria venture (MMV) developed the pandemic response box (PRB) containing 400 drug-like molecules with broad pathogen activity. The aim of this work is to evaluate PRB compounds for their anti-Toxoplasma gondii activity and identify promising candidates for further evaluation. Screening identified 42 selective compounds with half effective concentration (EC50) ranging from 2.4 to 913.1 nm and half cytotoxic concentration (CC50) ranging from 6 μm to >50 μm. Selectivity index (SI) values (CC50/EC50) ranged from 11 to 17 708. Based on its in silico and in vitro profile and its commercial availability, RWJ-67657 was selected for further studies. Molecular docking analysis showed RWJ-67657 is predicted to bind to T. gondii p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (TgMAPK). Oral administration of RWJ-67657 (20 mg kg day−1/10 days) significantly reduced parasite burden in chronically infected mice compared to mock-treated group (P < 0.01). These findings highlight the PRB as a promising source for anti-T. gondii compounds, with several showing favourable drug properties, including MMV1634492, MMV002731, MMV1634491, MMV1581551, MMV011565, MMV1581558, MMV1578577, MMV233495 and MMV1580482, firstly described here as anti-T. gondii agents. RWJ-67657 emerges as a valuable drug candidate for experimental chronic cerebral toxoplasmosis therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Ramos dos Santos
- Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Jundiaí, Brazil
| | | | - Renata Priscila Barros de Menezes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos Bioativos (PgPNSB), Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos (IPeFarM), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Marcus Tullius Scotti
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos Bioativos (PgPNSB), Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos (IPeFarM), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Fábio Antônio Colombo
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Marcos José Marques
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Juliana Quero Reimão
- Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Jundiaí, Brazil
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Dos Santos BR, Ramos ABDSB, de Menezes RPB, Scotti MT, Colombo FA, Marques MJ, Reimão JQ. Repurposing the Medicines for Malaria Venture's COVID Box to discover potent inhibitors of Toxoplasma gondii, and in vivo efficacy evaluation of almitrine bismesylate (MMV1804175) in chronically infected mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288335. [PMID: 37418497 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, affects about one-third of the world's population and can cause severe congenital, neurological and ocular issues. Current treatment options are limited, and there are no human vaccines available to prevent transmission. Drug repurposing has been effective in identifying anti-T. gondii drugs. In this study, the screening of the COVID Box, a compilation of 160 compounds provided by the "Medicines for Malaria Venture" organization, was conducted to explore its potential for repurposing drugs to combat toxoplasmosis. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the compounds' ability to inhibit T. gondii tachyzoite growth, assess their cytotoxicity against human cells, examine their absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) properties, and investigate the potential of one candidate drug through an experimental chronic model of toxoplasmosis. Early screening identified 29 compounds that could inhibit T. gondii survival by over 80% while keeping human cell survival up to 50% at a concentration of 1 μM. The Half Effective Concentrations (EC50) of these compounds ranged from 0.04 to 0.92 μM, while the Half Cytotoxic Concentrations (CC50) ranged from 2.48 to over 50 μM. Almitrine was chosen for further evaluation due to its favorable characteristics, including anti-T. gondii activity at nanomolar concentrations, low cytotoxicity, and ADMET properties. Administering almitrine bismesylate (Vectarion®) orally at dose of 25 mg/kg/day for ten consecutive days resulted in a statistically significant (p < 0.001) reduction in parasite burden in the brains of mice chronically infected with T. gondii (ME49 strain). This was determined by quantifying the RNA of living parasites using real-time PCR. The presented results suggest that almitrine may be a promising drug candidate for additional experimental studies on toxoplasmosis and provide further evidence of the potential of the MMV collections as a valuable source of drugs to be repositioned for infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Ramos Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí, Brazil
| | | | - Renata Priscila Barros de Menezes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos Bioativos (PgPNSB), Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos (IPeFarM), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Marcus Tullius Scotti
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos Bioativos (PgPNSB), Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos (IPeFarM), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Fábio Antônio Colombo
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Marcos José Marques
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Juliana Quero Reimão
- Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí, Brazil
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Barbosa H, Thevenard F, Quero Reimão J, Tempone AG, Honorio KM, Lago JHG. The Potential of Secondary Metabolites from Plants as Drugs or Leads against Trypanosoma cruzi-An Update from 2012 to 2021. Curr Top Med Chem 2023; 23:159-213. [PMID: 36515019 DOI: 10.2174/1568026623666221212111514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease (American Trypanosomiasis) is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the seventeen neglected tropical diseases (NTD), affecting, mainly, several regions of Latin America. INTRODUCTION However, immigration has expanded the range of this disease to other continents. Thousands of patients with Chagas disease die annually, yet no new therapeutics for Chagas disease have been approved, with only nifurtimox and benznidazole available. Treatment with these drugs presents several challenges, including protozoan resistance, toxicity, and low efficacy. Natural products, including the secondary metabolites found in plants, offer a myriad of complex structures that can be sourced directly or optimized for drug discovery. METHODS Therefore, this review aims to assess the literature from the last 10 years (2012-2021) and present the anti-T. cruzi compounds isolated from plants in this period, as well as briefly discuss computational approaches and challenges in natural product drug discovery. Using this approach, more than 350 different metabolites were divided based on their biosynthetic pathway alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, polyketides, and phenylpropanoids which displayed activity against different forms of this parasite epimastigote, trypomastigote and more important, the intracellular form, amastigote. CONCLUSION In this aspect, there are several compounds with high potential which could be considered as a scaffold for the development of new drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease-for this, more advanced studies must be performed including pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) analysis as well as conduction of in vivo assays, these being important limitations in the discovery of new anti-T. cruzi compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Barbosa
- Center of Natural Sciences and Humanities, Federal University of ABC, São Paulo, 09210-180, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Thevenard
- Center of Natural Sciences and Humanities, Federal University of ABC, São Paulo, 09210-180, Brazil
| | - Juliana Quero Reimão
- Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí, 13202-550, Brazil
| | - Andre Gustavo Tempone
- Centre for Parasitology and Mycology, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, 01246-902, Brazil
| | - Kathia Maria Honorio
- Center of Natural Sciences and Humanities, Federal University of ABC, São Paulo, 09210-180, Brazil.,School of Arts, Science and Humanities, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, 03828-000, Brazil
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Cajazeiro DC, Toledo PPM, de Sousa NF, Scotti MT, Reimão JQ. Drug Repurposing Based on Protozoan Proteome: In Vitro Evaluation of In Silico Screened Compounds against Toxoplasma gondii. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14081634. [PMID: 36015260 PMCID: PMC9414507 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan that infects up to a third of the world’s population. This parasite can cause serious problems, especially if a woman is infected during pregnancy, when toxoplasmosis can cause miscarriage, or serious complications to the baby, or in an immunocompromised person, when the infection can possibly affect the patient’s eyes or brain. To identify potential drug candidates that could counter toxoplasmosis, we selected 13 compounds which were pre-screened in silico based on the proteome of T. gondii to be evaluated in vitro against the parasite in a cell-based assay. Among the selected compounds, three demonstrated in vitro anti-T. gondii activity in the nanomolar range (almitrine, bortezomib, and fludarabine), and ten compounds demonstrated anti-T. gondii activity in the micromolar range (digitoxin, digoxin, doxorubicin, fusidic acid, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, mycophenolic acid, ribavirin, trimethoprim, and valproic acid). Almitrine demonstrated a Selectivity Index (provided by the ratio between the Half Cytotoxic Concentration against human foreskin fibroblasts and the Half Effective Concentration against T. gondii tachyzoites) that was higher than 47, whilst being considered a lead compound against T. gondii. Almitrine showed interactions with the Na+/K+ ATPase transporter for Homo sapiens and Mus musculus, indicating a possible mechanism of action of this compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora Chaves Cajazeiro
- Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí 13202-550, Brazil
| | - Paula Pereira Marques Toledo
- Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí 13202-550, Brazil
| | - Natália Ferreira de Sousa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos Bioativos (PgPNSB), Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos (IPeFarM), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Marcus Tullius Scotti
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos Bioativos (PgPNSB), Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos (IPeFarM), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, Cidade Universitária, João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Juliana Quero Reimão
- Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí 13202-550, Brazil
- Correspondence:
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Reimão JQ, Coser EM, Lee MR, Coelho AC. Laboratory Diagnosis of Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis: Current and Future Methods. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1632. [PMID: 33105784 PMCID: PMC7690623 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease with two main clinical forms: cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. Diagnosis of leishmaniasis is still a challenge, concerning the detection and correct identification of the species of the parasite, mainly in endemic areas where the absence of appropriate resources is still a problem. Most accessible methods for diagnosis, particularly in these areas, do not include the identification of each one of more than 20 species responsible for the disease. Here, we summarize the main methods used for the detection and identification of leishmaniasis that can be performed by demonstration of the parasite in biological samples from the patient through microscopic examination, by in vitro culture or animal inoculation; by molecular methods through the detection of parasite DNA; or by immunological methods through the detection of parasite antigens that may be present in urine or through the detection of specific antibodies against the parasite. Potential new methods that can be applied for laboratory diagnosis of leishmaniasis are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Quero Reimão
- Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí 13202-550, Brazil; (J.Q.R.); (M.R.L.)
| | - Elizabeth Magiolo Coser
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, Brazil;
| | - Monica Ran Lee
- Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí 13202-550, Brazil; (J.Q.R.); (M.R.L.)
| | - Adriano Cappellazzo Coelho
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, Brazil;
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Mesquita JT, Romanelli MM, de Melo Trinconi Trinconi Cm C, Guerra JM, Taniwaki NN, Uliana SRB, Reimão JQ, Tempone AG. Repurposing topical triclosan for cutaneous leishmaniasis: Preclinical efficacy in a murine Leishmania (L.) amazonensis model. Drug Dev Res 2020; 83:285-295. [PMID: 32767443 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis remains an important neglected tropical infection caused by the protozoan Leishmania and affects 12 million people in 98 countries. The treatment is limited with severe adverse effects. In the search for new therapies, the drug repositioning and combination therapy have been successfully applied to neglected diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo anti-Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis potential of triclosan, an approved topical antimicrobial agent used for surgical procedures. in vitro phenotypic studies of drug-treated parasites were performed to evaluate the lethal action of triclosan, accompanied by an isobolographic ex-vivo analysis with the association of triclosan and miltefosine. The results showed that triclosan has activity against L. (L.) amazonensis intracellular amastigotes, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 16 μM. By using fluorescent probes and transmission electron microscopy, a pore-forming activity of triclosan toward the parasite plasma membrane was demonstrated, leading to depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential and reduction of the reactive oxygen species levels in the extracellular promastigotes. The in vitro interaction between triclosan and miltefosine in the combination therapy assay was classified as additive against intracellular amastigotes. Leishmania-infected mice were treated with topical triclosan (1% base cream for 14 consecutive days), and showed 89% reduction in the parasite burden. The obtained results contribute to the investigation of new alternatives for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis and suggest that the coadministration of triclosan and miltefosine should be investigated in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Silvia Reni Bortolin Uliana
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Quero Reimão
- Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí, Brazil
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Reimão JQ, Tempone AG. Investigation into in vitro anti-leishmanial combinations of calcium channel blockers and current anti-leishmanial drugs. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2011; 106:1032-8. [DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762011000800022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2011] [Accepted: 10/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Sartorelli P, Carvalho CS, Reimão JQ, Lorenzi H, Tempone AG. Antitrypanosomal activity of a diterpene and lignans isolated from Aristolochia cymbifera. Planta Med 2010; 76:1454-1456. [PMID: 20301059 DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1240952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Bioguided fractionation of extract from the leaves of Aristolochia cymbifera led to the isolation of the furofuran lignans fargesin, epieudesmin, and sesamin; the dibenzylbutyrolactone lignans hinokinin and kusunokinin; and an ENT-labdane diterpene named copalic acid. Our data demonstrated that copalic acid and kusunokinin were the most active compounds against trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi. Additionally, copalic acid demonstrated the highest parasite selectivity as a result of low toxicity to mammalian cells, despite a considerable hemolytic activity at higher concentrations. Among the isolated compounds, kusunokinin could be considered the most promising candidate, as it displayed significant activity against intracellular amastigotes (IC(50) = 17 µM) and trypomastigotes (IC(50) = 51 µM) without hemolytic activity. Fargesin, hinokinin, epieudesmin, and sesamin were also effective against trypomastigotes, but these compounds were highly toxic to mammalian cells and no parasite selectivity could be identified. The need for novel drugs for American trypanosomiasis is evident, and these secondary metabolites from A. cymbifera represent a useful tool for drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Sartorelli
- Departamento de Ciências Exatas e da Terra, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema/São Paulo, Brazil.
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Tempone AG, Mortara RA, de Andrade HF, Reimão JQ. Therapeutic evaluation of free and liposome-loaded furazolidone in experimental visceral leishmaniasis. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2010; 36:159-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2010.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2010] [Revised: 02/22/2010] [Accepted: 04/17/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Quero Reimão J, Nosomi Taniwaki N, Gustavo Tempone A. Furazolidone is a selective in vitro candidate against Leishmania (L.) chagasi: an ultrastructural study. Parasitol Res 2010; 106:1465-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-010-1826-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2010] [Accepted: 03/03/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Tempone AG, Taniwaki NN, Reimão JQ. Antileishmanial activity and ultrastructural alterations of Leishmania (L.) chagasi treated with the calcium channel blocker nimodipine. Parasitol Res 2009; 105:499-505. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-009-1427-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2009] [Accepted: 03/18/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Reimão JQ, Migotto AE, Kossuga MH, Berlinck RGS, Tempone AG. Antiprotozoan activity of Brazilian marine cnidarian extracts and of a modified steroid from the octocoral Carijoa riisei. Parasitol Res 2008; 103:1445-50. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-008-1154-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2008] [Accepted: 07/31/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Reimão JQ, Drummond ED, Terceti MDS, Lyon JP, Franco MC, de Siqueira AM. Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from hollows of living trees in the city of Alfenas, MG, Brazil. Mycoses 2007; 50:261-4. [PMID: 17576316 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0507.2007.01374.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast, aetiological agent of cryptococcosis, commonly associated with pigeon droppings and plant materials. The species has also been associated with tree hollows. The aim of the present work was to verify the presence of the yeast in hollows of living trees and identify the isolates obtained in varieties and serotypes. Three samples were collected from 18 trees of five different species totalling 54 samples. Wood samples were collected by scraping the surface of the trunks and the inner face of the hollows. Samples were inoculated on to agar Niger medium for fungal isolation. The serotypes were determined by PCR using specific primers. Among the 54 samples evaluated, two were positive for the presence of C. n. var. neoformans (serotype A and MATalpha). The trees belonged to Caesalpinia peltophoroides and Anadenanthera peregrina species. The results of this study suggest that decayed wood obtained from hollows of C. peltophoroides and A. peregrina can be used as natural habitat for C. n. var. neoformans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Quero Reimão
- Laboratory of Basic Microbiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
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Drummond ED, Reimão JQ, Dias ALT, de Siqueira AM. [Behaviour azole fungicide and fluconazole in Cryptococcus neoformans clinical and environmental isolates]. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2007; 40:209-11. [PMID: 17568890 DOI: 10.1590/s0037-86822007000200012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2006] [Accepted: 02/08/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The activity of azole fungicides for agronomical use (epoxiconazole, difenoconazole and cyproconazole) was evaluated in comparison with the therapeutic antifungal agent fluconazole, on 23 environmental samples of Cryptococcus neoformans var neoformans isolated from pigeon feces that were collected from farms with agricultural practices using azole compounds, and on 11 clinical samples isolated from patients with cryptococcosis. Sensitivity tests were performed using the agar dilution technique. The minimum inhibitory concentration capable of inhibiting 50% of the environmental isolates (MIC 50) was 6.00 microg/ml to epoxiconazole, 1.00 microg/ml for difenoconazole, 2.00 microg/ml for cyproconazole and 64.00 microg/ml for fluconazole. Among the clinical isolates the MIC 50 values were 2.00 microg/ml, 0.38 microg/ml, 1.00 microg/ml and 16.00 microg/ml for epoxiconazole, difenoconazole, cyproconazole and fluconazole, respectively. The MIC 50 values for environmental isolates were greater than the MIC 50 values for clinical isolates. In our study, in relation to the same antifungal agent, the environmental samples presented significantly different behaviour in relation to the clinical samples (p<0.05). Differences in the MIC values (p<0.05) presented by fluconazole and the other antifungal agents for agronomical use, both in the environmental isolates and in the clinical isolates, were also observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elislene Dias Drummond
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, MG
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