1
|
Mbah GE, Ayiseh RB, Monya E, Ndi EM, Njotu FN, Kulu TK, Sakanari J, Lustigman S, Cho-Ngwa F. Differential susceptibility of Onchocerca ochengi adult male worms to flubendazole in gerbils and hamsters. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:186. [PMID: 38634933 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08207-z] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Onchocerciasis is a devastating skin and eye disease that afflicts about 21 million people, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. Its control with the microfilaricidal drug ivermectin is limited, thus necessitating the development of preclinical animal models to aid in the discovery of a macrofilaricide. Previously, we found that Onchocerca ochengi (the closest relative of the human O. volvulus) worm masses survive better in hamsters than in gerbils. The aim of this study was to compare the survival of O. ochengi adult male worms and their susceptibility to flubendazole (FBZ, a macrofilaricide) in gerbils and hamsters. The animals were intraperitoneally implanted with O. ochengi male worms, treated with FBZ, and sacrificed 35 days post-implantation. Unlike gerbils which had some worms moving freely in the peritoneum and some in newly formed nodules (neo-nodules), all the worms in the hamsters were found in neo-nodules. FBZ significantly decreased worm burden, motility, and viability in gerbils whereas it had no significant effect in hamsters. These results highlight a major difference in how O. ochengi adult male worms are sustained and affected by FBZ in gerbils compared to hamsters. Understanding the difference between these two models is important in the development of effective macrofilaricides for onchocerciasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Glory Enjong Mbah
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Department of Biology, Higher Teacher Training College (HTTC), The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
- National Higher Polytechnic Institute (NAHPI), The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
| | - Rene Bilingwe Ayiseh
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
| | - Elvis Monya
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Emmanuel Menang Ndi
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Fabrice Ngoh Njotu
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Tessy-Koko Kulu
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Judy Sakanari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sara Lustigman
- New York Blood Center, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Fidelis Cho-Ngwa
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
- National Higher Polytechnic Institute (NAHPI), The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ayiseh RB, Mbah GE, Manfo FPT, Kulu TK, Njotu FN, Monya E, Ndi EM, Tumanjong IM, Mainsah EN, Sakanari J, Lustigman S, Cho-Ngwa F. Survival of worm masses of Onchocerca ochengi in gerbils and hamsters: implications for the development of an in vivo macrofilaricide screening model. Parasitol Res 2023:10.1007/s00436-023-07859-7. [PMID: 37154921 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07859-7] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Onchocerciasis, the second leading infectious cause of blindness, afflicts approximately 21 million people globally. Its control is limited to the use of the microfilaricidal drugs, ivermectin and moxidectin. Both drugs are unable to kill the adult worms which can survive for up to 15 years in patients, justifying the urgent need for potent and novel macrofilaricides that kill adult worms. The development of such drugs has been hindered by the lack of an appropriate small laboratory animal model to evaluate potential drug candidates in vivo. This study assessed the survival of O. ochengi female worms and their embryos over time in two laboratory rodents: gerbils and hamsters and tested using "proof-of-concept" studies, whether known macrofilaricidal drugs can kill these worms. Animals were surgically implanted with mechanical or collagenase-liberated O. ochengi worm masses, and necropsied at various time points to test for survival. Recovered worm masses were assessed for viability by biochemical analysis (MTT/formazan assay) or fecundity (embryogram). Flubendazole (FBZ) administered at 20 mg/kg body weight was used to validate both rodent models. By day 26 post-implantation of 15 worm masses, a median of 7.00 (4.00-10.00) was recovered from hamsters, and 2.50 (2.00-4.00) from gerbils. Worm masses recovered from gerbils were mostly disintegrated or fragmented, with significantly higher fragmentation observed with collagenase-liberated worm masses. FBZ had no significant effect on the number of worm masses recovered, but enhanced embryo degradation in gerbils and reduced worm mass viability in hamsters. This exploratory study has revealed the gerbil and hamster as permissible rodents to adult female worms of O. ochengi. The hamsters appeared to maintain the worms longer, compared to gerbils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rene Bilingwe Ayiseh
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
| | - Glory Enjong Mbah
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Department of Biology, Higher Teacher Training College (HTTC), The University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon
- National Higher Polytechnic Institute (NAHPI), The University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon
| | - Faustin Pascal Tsague Manfo
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Tessy-Koko Kulu
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Fabrice Ngoh Njotu
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Elvis Monya
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Emmanuel Menang Ndi
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Irene Memeh Tumanjong
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Evans Ngandung Mainsah
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Judy Sakanari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sara Lustigman
- New York Blood Center, Lindsey F. Kimball Research Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Fidelis Cho-Ngwa
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
- National Higher Polytechnic Institute (NAHPI), The University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sashidhara KV, Rao KB, Kushwaha V, Modukuri RK, Verma R, Murthy PK. Synthesis and antifilarial activity of chalcone-thiazole derivatives against a human lymphatic filarial parasite, Brugia malayi. Eur J Med Chem 2014; 81:473-80. [PMID: 24863844 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Here we report the synthesis of novel chalcone-thiazole compounds and their antifilarial activity. The antifilarial properties of these hybrids were assessed against microfilariae as well as adult worms of Brugia malayi. Among all the synthesized compounds, only two compounds, namely 4g and 4n were identified to be promising in vitro. These active compounds were tested in B. malayi-jird (Meriones unguiculatus) and B. malayi-Mastomys coucha models. Compound 4n showed 100% embryostatic effect and 49% macrofilaricidal in jirds and M. coucha models, respectively. This study provides a new structural clue for the development of novel antifilarial lead molecules.
Collapse
|