1
|
Köseoğlu AE, Özgül F, Işıksal EN, Şeflekçi Y, Tülümen D, Özgültekin B, Deniz Köseoğlu G, Özyiğit S, Ihlamur M, Ekenoğlu Merdan Y. In silico discovery of diagnostic/vaccine candidate antigenic epitopes and a multi-epitope peptide vaccine (NaeVac) design for the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri causing human meningitis. Gene 2024; 902:148192. [PMID: 38253295 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148192] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri, the brain-eating amoeba, is a free-living amoeboflagellate with three different life cycles (trophozoite, flagellated, and cyst) that lives in a variety of habitats around the world including warm freshwater and soil. It causes a disease called naegleriasis leading meningitis and primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans. N. fowleri is transmitted through contaminated water sources such as insufficiently chlorinated swimming pool water or contaminated tap water, and swimmers are at risk. N. fowleri is found all over the world, and most infections were reported in both developed and developing countries with high mortality rates and serious clinical findings. Until now, there is no FDA approved vaccine and early diagnosis is urgent against this pathogen. In this study, by analyzing the N. fowleri vaccine candidate proteins (Mp2CL5, Nfa1, Nf314, proNP-A and proNP-B), it was aimed to discover diagnostic/vaccine candidate epitopes and to design a multi-epitope peptide vaccine against this pathogen. After the in silico evaluation, three prominent diagnostic/vaccine candidate epitopes (EAKDSK, LLPHIRILVY, and FYAKLLPHIRILVYS) with the highest antigenicities were discovered and a potentially highly immunogenic/antigenic multi-epitope peptide vaccine (NaeVac) was designed against the brain-eating amoeba N. fowleri causing human meningitis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Efe Köseoğlu
- Duisburg-Essen University, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Essen, Germany.
| | - Filiz Özgül
- Biruni University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Elif Naz Işıksal
- Biruni University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul, Turkey; Biruni University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Şeflekçi
- Biruni University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Deniz Tülümen
- Biruni University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Buminhan Özgültekin
- Bogaziçi University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Sena Özyiğit
- Biruni University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Murat Ihlamur
- Biruni University, Vocational School, Department of Electronics and Automation, Istanbul, Turkey; Yıldız Technical University, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yağmur Ekenoğlu Merdan
- Biruni University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Istanbul, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Burqi AMK, Satti L, Mahboob S, Anwar SOZ, Bizanjo M, Rafique M, Ghanchi NK. Successful Treatment of Confirmed Naegleria fowleri Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:803-805. [PMID: 38526236 PMCID: PMC10977850 DOI: 10.3201/eid3004.230979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Primary amebic meningoencephalitis caused by Naegleria fowleri is a rare but nearly always fatal parasitic infection of the brain. Globally, few survivors have been reported, and the disease has no specific treatment. We report a confirmed case in Pakistan in a 22-year-old man who survived after aggressive therapy.
Collapse
|
3
|
Shaukat A, Khaliq N, Riaz R, Munsab R, Ashraf T, Raufi N, Shah H. Noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers, genomic profiling, and advanced microscopic imaging in the early detection and characterization of Naegleria fowleri infections leading to primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2024; 86:2032-2048. [PMID: 38576920 PMCID: PMC10990330 DOI: 10.1097/ms9.0000000000001843] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
This review delves into the strategies for early detection and characterization of Naegleria fowleri infections leading to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The study provides an in-depth analysis of current diagnostic approaches, including cerebrospinal fluid analysis, brain tissue examination, immunostaining techniques, and culture methods, elucidating their strengths and limitations. It explores the geographical distribution of N. fowleri, with a focus on regions near the equator, and environmental factors contributing to its prevalence. The review emphasizes the crucial role of early detection in PAM management, discussing the benefits of timely identification in treatment, personalized care, and prevention strategies. Genomic profiling techniques, such as conventional PCR, nested PCR, multiplex PCR, and real-time PCR, are thoroughly examined as essential tools for accurate and prompt diagnosis. Additionally, the study explores advanced microscopic imaging techniques to characterize N. fowleri's morphology and behavior at different infection stages, enhancing our understanding of its life cycle and pathogenic mechanisms. In conclusion, this review underscores the potential of these strategies to improve our ability to detect, understand, and combat N. fowleri infections, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and enhanced public health protection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nawal Khaliq
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rumaisa Riaz
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rabbia Munsab
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Nahid Raufi
- Department of Medicine, Kabul Medical University, Kabul, Afghanistan
| | - Hafsa Shah
- Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ata I, Riaz N, Ata F, Farooq U, Mallhi TH. Waking up to the Naegleria threat: urgent measures needed to protect public health in Pakistan. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2024; 22:129-130. [PMID: 38193480 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2024.2304055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Ifrah Ata
- Hamdard Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hamdard University Islamabad Campus Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Nabeel Riaz
- Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Lahore & Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Fariah Ata
- Department of Optometry, The University of Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Umer Farooq
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hara T, Fukuma T. Optimized Axenic Culture Medium for Comprehensive Biological and Physiological Analysis of Naegleria Fowleri. Kurume Med J 2024:MS7012007. [PMID: 38508735 DOI: 10.2739/kurumemedj.ms7012007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuru Hara
- Department of Parasitology, Kurume University School of Medicine
| | - Toshihide Fukuma
- Department of Parasitology, Kurume University School of Medicine
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Goudot S, Mathieu L, Herbelin P, Soreau S, Jorand FPA. Growth dynamic of biofilm-associated Naegleria fowleri in freshwater on various materials. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1369665. [PMID: 38511008 PMCID: PMC10951111 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1369665] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In industrial water systems, the occurrence of biofilm-associated pathogenic free-living amoebae (FLA) such as Naegleria fowleri is a potential hygienic problem, and factors associated with its occurrence remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of four cooling circuit materials on the growth of N. fowleri in a freshwater biofilm formed at 42°C and under a hydrodynamic shear rate of 17 s-1 (laminar flow): polyvinyl chloride, stainless steel, brass, and titanium. Colonization of the freshwater biofilms by N. fowleri was found to be effective on polyvinyl chloride, stainless steel, and titanium. For these three materials, the ratio of (bacterial prey)/(amoeba) was found to control the growth of N. fowleri. All materials taken together, a maximum specific growth rate of 0.18 ± 0.07 h-1 was associated with a generation time of ~4 h. In contrast, no significant colonization of N. fowleri was found on brass. Therefore, the contribution of copper is strongly suspected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Goudot
- EDF Recherche et Développement, Laboratoire National d'Hydraulique et Environnement, Chatou, France
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPME, Nancy, France
| | | | - Pascaline Herbelin
- EDF Recherche et Développement, Laboratoire National d'Hydraulique et Environnement, Chatou, France
| | - Sylvie Soreau
- EDF Recherche et Développement, Laboratoire National d'Hydraulique et Environnement, Chatou, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Arberas-Jiménez I, Rodríguez-Expósito RL, Sifaoui I, Chao-Pellicer J, Sancho L, Urruticoechea A, Piñero JE, Lorenzo-Morales J. Influence of salt and temperature in the growth of pathogenic free-living amoebae. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1356452. [PMID: 38426057 PMCID: PMC10902715 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1356452] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Free-living amoebae are an extensive group of protistans that can be found in a wide variety of environments. Among them, the Acanthamoeba genus and Naegleria fowleri stand out as two of the most pathogenic amoebae and with a higher number of reported cases. N. fowleri is mainly found in warm freshwater water bodies whereas amoebae of the Acanthamoeba genus are broadly distributed through natural and anthropogenic environments. In this regard, the management and the control of the amoebic populations in swimming pools has become a major public health challenge for institutions. Methods The aim of this work was to evaluate the growth pattern of trophozoites of A. griffini and N. fowleri at different temperatures and salt concentrations. Results and discussion Our results showed that A. griffini resisted a higher concentration of salt than N. fowleri. Moreover, no trophozoites could withstand the salt levels of the sea in in vitro conditions. This work supports the contention that salinity could represent an important and useful tool for the control of the most pathogenic amoebic populations in recreational water bodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iñigo Arberas-Jiménez
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Rubén L. Rodríguez-Expósito
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Ines Sifaoui
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Javier Chao-Pellicer
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Luis Sancho
- CEIT-Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Manuel Lardizabal, Donostia-San Sebastían, Spain
- Universidad de Navarra, Tecnun, Manuel Lardizabal, Donostia-San Sebastían, Spain
| | | | - José E. Piñero
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Retana Moreira L, Cornet-Gomez A, Sepulveda MR, Molina-Castro S, Alvarado-Ocampo J, Chaves Monge F, Jara Rojas M, Osuna A, Abrahams Sandí E. Providing an in vitro depiction of microglial cells challenged with immunostimulatory extracellular vesicles of Naegleria fowleri. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1346021. [PMID: 38374922 PMCID: PMC10876093 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1346021] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rapid and acute infection of the central nervous system with a fatal outcome in >97% of cases. Due to the infrequent report of cases and diagnostic gaps that hinder the possibility of recovering clinic isolates, studies related to pathogenesis of the disease are scarce. However, the secretion of cytolytic molecules has been proposed as a factor involved in the progression of the infection. Several of these molecules could be included in extracellular vesicles (EVs), making them potential virulence factors and even modulators of the immune response in this infection. In this work, we evaluated the immunomodulatory effect of EVs secreted by two clinic isolates of Naegleria fowleri using in vitro models. For this purpose, characterization analyses between EVs produced by both isolates were first performed, for subsequent gene transcription analyses post incubation of these vesicles with primary cultures from mouse cell microglia and BV-2 cells. Analyses of morphological changes induced in primary culture microglia cells by the vesicles were also included, as well as the determination of the presence of nucleic acids of N. fowleri in the EV fractions. Results revealed increased expression of NOS, proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-23, and the regulatory cytokine IL-10 in primary cultures of microglia, as well as increased expression of NOS and IL-13 in BV-2 cells. Morphologic changes from homeostatic microglia, with small cellular body and long processes to a more amoeboid morphology were also observed after the incubation of these cells with EVs. Regarding the presence of nucleic acids, specific Naegleria fowleri DNA that could be amplified using both conventional and qPCR was confirmed in the EV fractions. Altogether, these results confirm the immunomodulatory effects of EVs of Naegleria fowleri over microglial cells and suggest a potential role of these vesicles as biomarkers of primary acute meningoencephalitis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lissette Retana Moreira
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Alberto Cornet-Gomez
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Campus de Fuentenueva, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - M. Rosario Sepulveda
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Silvia Molina-Castro
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud (INISA), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Johan Alvarado-Ocampo
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Frida Chaves Monge
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Mariana Jara Rojas
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Antonio Osuna
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Campus de Fuentenueva, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Elizabeth Abrahams Sandí
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Martinez-Castillo M, Ramírez-Rico G, Shibayama M, de la Garza M, Serrano-Luna J. Lactoferrin and Lysozyme Inhibit the Proteolytic Activity and Cytopathic Effect of Naegleria fowleri Enzymes. Pathogens 2024; 13:44. [PMID: 38251351 PMCID: PMC10819050 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010044] [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: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is a ubiquitous free-living amoeba that causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. As a part of the innate immune response at the mucosal level, the proteins lactoferrin (Lf) and lysozyme (Lz) are secreted and eliminate various microorganisms. We demonstrate that N. fowleri survives the individual and combined effects of bovine milk Lf (bLf) and chicken egg Lz (cLz). Moreover, amoebic proliferation was not altered, even at 24 h of co-incubation with each protein. Trophozoites' ultrastructure was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy, and these proteins did not significantly alter their organelles and cytoplasmic membranes. Protease analysis using gelatin-zymograms showed that secreted proteases of N. fowleri were differentially modulated by bLf and cLz at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. The bLf and cLz combination resulted in the inhibition of N. fowleri-secreted proteases. Additionally, the use of protease inhibitors on bLf-zymograms demonstrated that secreted cysteine proteases participate in the degradation of bLf. Nevertheless, the co-incubation of trophozoites with bLf and/or cLz reduced the cytopathic effect on the MDCK cell line. Our study suggests that bLf and cLz, alone or together, inhibited secreted proteases and reduced the cytopathic effect produced by N. fowleri; however, they do not affect the viability and proliferation of the trophozoites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moises Martinez-Castillo
- Liver, Pancreas and Motility Laboratory, Unit of Research in Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City 06720, Mexico;
| | - Gerardo Ramírez-Rico
- Department of Cell Biology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (G.R.-R.); (M.d.l.G.)
- Faculty of Professional Studies Cuautitlan, Autonomous National University of Mexico, Mexico City 54714, Mexico
| | - Mineko Shibayama
- Department of Infectomics and Molecular Pathogenesis, Center for Research and Advanced Studies, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Mireya de la Garza
- Department of Cell Biology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (G.R.-R.); (M.d.l.G.)
| | - Jesús Serrano-Luna
- Department of Cell Biology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (G.R.-R.); (M.d.l.G.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Rajendran K, Ahmed U, Meunier AC, Shaikh MF, Siddiqui R, Anwar A. Natural Terpenes Inhibit the Cytopathogenicity of Naegleria fowleri Causing Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis in the Human Cell Line Model. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:4105-4114. [PMID: 37983556 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00258] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is one of the free-living amoebae and is a causative agent of a lethal and rare central nervous system infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Despite the advancement in antimicrobial chemotherapy, the fatality rate in the reported cases is more than 95%. Most of the treatment drugs used against N. fowleri infection are repurposed drugs. Therefore, a large number of compounds have been tested against N. fowleri in vitro, but most of the compounds showed high toxicity. To overcome this, we evaluated the effectiveness of naturally occurring terpene compounds against N. fowleri. In this study, we evaluated the antiamoebic potential of natural compounds including Thymol, Borneol, Andrographolide, and Forskolin againstN. fowleri. Thymol showed the highest amoebicidal activity with IC50/24 h at 153.601 ± 19.6 μM. Two combinations of compounds Forskolin + Thymol and Forskolin + Borneol showed a higher effect on the viability of trophozoites as compared to compounds alone and hence showed a synergistic effect. The IC50 reported for Forskolin + Thymol was 81.30 ± 6.86 μM. Borneol showed maximum cysticidal activity with IC50/24 h at 192.605 ± 3.01 μM. Importantly, lactate dehydrogenase release testing revealed that all compounds displayed minimal cytotoxicity to human HaCaT, HeLa, and SH-SY5Y cell lines. The cytopathogenicity assay showed that Thymol and Borneol also significantly reduced the host cell cytotoxicity of pretreated amoeba toward the human HaCaT cell line. So, these terpene compounds hold potential as therapeutic agents against infections caused by N. fowleri and are potentially a step forward in drug development against this deadly pathogen as these compounds have also been reported to cross the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, an in vivo study using animal models is necessary to assess the efficacy of these compounds and the need for further research into the intranasal route of delivery for the treatment of these life-threatening infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kavitha Rajendran
- School of American Education (SAE), Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Selangor 47500, Malaysia
| | - Usman Ahmed
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Selangor 47500, Malaysia
| | - Alexia Chloe Meunier
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Selangor 47500, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Farooq Shaikh
- Neuropharmacology Research Laboratory, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
- School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Orange New South Wales, 2800, Australia
| | - Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
- Department of Microbiota Research Centre, Istinye University, Istanbul 34010, Turkey
| | - Ayaz Anwar
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Selangor 47500, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Lê HG, Võ TC, Kang JM, Nguyễn TH, Hwang BS, Oh YT, Na BK. Antiamoebic activities of flavonoids against pathogenic free-living amoebae, Naegleria fowleri and Acanthamoeba species. Parasites Hosts Dis 2023; 61:449-454. [PMID: 38043540 PMCID: PMC10693969 DOI: 10.3347/phd.23078] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Free-living amoebae (FLA) rarely cause human infections but can invoke fatal infections in the central nervous system (CNS). No consensus treatment has been established for FLA infections of the CNS, emphasizing the urgent need to discover or develop safe and effective drugs. Flavonoids, natural compounds from plants and plant-derived products, are known to have antiprotozoan activities against several pathogenic protozoa parasites. The anti-FLA activity of flavonoids has also been proposed, while their antiamoebic activity for FLA needs to be emperically determined. We herein evaluated the antiamoebic activities of 18 flavonoids against Naegleria fowleri and Acanthamoeba species which included A. castellanii and A. polyphaga. These flavonoids showed different profiles of antiamoebic activity against N. fowleri and Acanthamoeba species. Demethoxycurcumin, kaempferol, resveratrol, and silybin (A+B) showed in vitro antiamoebic activity against both N. fowleri and Acanthamoeba species. Apigenin, costunolide, (‒)-epicatechin, (‒)-epigallocatechin, rosmarinic acid, and (‒)-trans-caryophyllene showed selective antiamoebic activity for Acanthamoeba species. Luteolin was more effective for N. fowleri. However, afzelin, berberine, (±)-catechin, chelerythrine, genistein, (+)-pinostrobin, and quercetin did not exhibit antiamoebic activity against the amoeba species. They neither showed selective antiamoebic activity with significant cytotoxicity to C6 glial cells. Our results provide a basis for the anti-FLA activity of flavonoids, which can be applied to develope alternative or supplemental therapeutic agents for FLA infections of the CNS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hương Giang Lê
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727,
Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727,
Korea
| | - Tuấn Cường Võ
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727,
Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727,
Korea
| | - Jung-Mi Kang
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727,
Korea
| | - Thu Hằng Nguyễn
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727,
Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727,
Korea
| | - Buyng-Su Hwang
- Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242,
Korea
| | - Young-Taek Oh
- Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Sangju 37242,
Korea
| | - Byoung-Kuk Na
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727,
Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727,
Korea
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Akbar N, Siddiqui R, El-Gamal MI, Zaraei SO, Alawfi BS, Khan NA. The anti-amoebic potential of carboxamide derivatives containing sulfonyl or sulfamoyl moieties against brain-eating Naegleria fowleri. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:2539-2548. [PMID: 37665414 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07953-w] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is a free-living thermophilic flagellate amoeba that causes a rare but life-threatening infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), with a very high fatality rate. Herein, the anti-amoebic potential of carboxamide derivatives possessing sulfonyl or sulfamoyl moiety was assessed against pathogenic N. fowleri using amoebicidal, cytotoxicity and cytopathogenicity assays. The results from amoebicidal experiments showed that derivatives dramatically reduced N. fowleri viability. Selected derivatives demonstrated IC50 values at lower concentrations; 1j showed IC50 at 24.65 μM, while 1k inhibited 50% amoebae growth at 23.31 μM. Compounds with significant amoebicidal effects demonstrated limited cytotoxicity against human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells. Finally, some derivatives mitigated N. fowleri-instigated host cell death. Ultimately, this study demonstrated that 1j and 1k exhibited potent anti-amoebic activity and ought to be looked at in future studies for the development of therapeutic anti-amoebic pharmaceuticals. Further investigation is required to determine the clinical relevance of our findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noor Akbar
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
- College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, 26666, United Arab Emirates
- Microbiota Research Center, Istinye University, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mohammed I El-Gamal
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates.
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates.
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt.
| | - Seyed-Omar Zaraei
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bader S Alawfi
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Madinah, 42353, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naveed Ahmed Khan
- Microbiota Research Center, Istinye University, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Ferrins L, Buskes MJ, Kapteyn MM, Engels HN, Enos SE, Lu C, Klug DM, Singh B, Quotadamo A, Bachovchin K, Tear WF, Spaulding AE, Forbes KC, Bag S, Rivers M, LeBlanc C, Burchfield E, Armand JR, Diaz-Gonzalez R, Ceballos-Perez G, García-Hernández R, Pérez-Moreno G, Bosch-Navarrete C, Gómez-Liñán C, Ruiz-Pérez LM, Gamarro F, González-Pacanowska D, Navarro M, Mensa-Wilmot K, Pollastri MP, Kyle DE, Rice CA. Corrigendum: Identification of novel anti-amoebic pharmacophores from kinase inhibitor chemotypes. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1304196. [PMID: 37954236 PMCID: PMC10634589 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1304196] [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: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1149145.].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lori Ferrins
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Melissa J. Buskes
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Madison M. Kapteyn
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Hannah N. Engels
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Suzanne E. Enos
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Chenyang Lu
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Dana M. Klug
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Baljinder Singh
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Antonio Quotadamo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Kelly Bachovchin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Westley F. Tear
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Andrew E. Spaulding
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Katherine C. Forbes
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Seema Bag
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mitch Rivers
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Catherine LeBlanc
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Erin Burchfield
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jeremy R. Armand
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rosario Diaz-Gonzalez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Gloria Ceballos-Perez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Raquel García-Hernández
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Guiomar Pérez-Moreno
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Cristina Bosch-Navarrete
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Claudia Gómez-Liñán
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ruiz-Pérez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Francisco Gamarro
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Dolores González-Pacanowska
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Miguel Navarro
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Kojo Mensa-Wilmot
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, United States
| | - Michael P. Pollastri
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Dennis E. Kyle
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Christopher A. Rice
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Nadeem A, Malik IA, Afridi EK, Shariq F. Naegleria fowleri outbreak in Pakistan: unveiling the crisis and path to recovery. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1266400. [PMID: 37927850 PMCID: PMC10620794 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1266400] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of Naegleria fowleri in Pakistan presents a significant public health concern due to its high fatality rate and limited treatment options. This review explores the impact of the outbreak on communities and the challenges faced in combating the disease. It evaluates available treatment options and highlights the need for early diagnosis and intervention. The study proposes recommendations to improve public health preparedness, including public awareness campaigns, enhanced healthcare infrastructure, and robust water surveillance systems. Collaboration between research institutions and public health organizations is emphasized to develop effective outbreak response strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Nadeem
- Department of Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Inshal Arshad Malik
- Department of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Eesha Khan Afridi
- Department of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Fariha Shariq
- Department of Medicine, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wang F, Shen F, Dai W, Zhao J, Chen X, Liu J. A primary amoebic meningoencephalitis case associated with swimming in seawater. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:2451-2452. [PMID: 37555856 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07934-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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
This case report describes a 62-year-old male fisherman who presented with persistent vomiting, headache, and behavior changes. Despite initial antibiotic and corticosteroid treatment, his condition worsened, leading to coma and subsequent death. Macro-genome sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed the presence of Naegleria fowleri infection, which had been missed during initial laboratory tests. The patient's exposure history included sea-swimming near Zhoushan Island.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Fuping Shen
- School of Medical Technology and Information Engineering, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenchu Dai
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xian No. 1 Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiwei Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Lishui District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaojuan Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan, Haikou, 570311, China.
| | - Jinlin Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, South China Hospital, Medical School, Shenzhen University, 1 Fuxin Road, Shenzhen, 518111, China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lê HG, Kang JM, Võ TC, Na BK. Kaempferol induces programmed cell death in Naegleria fowleri. Phytomedicine 2023; 119:154994. [PMID: 37597363 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154994] [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] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Naegleria fowleri is a brain-eating amoeba causing a fatal brain infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Despite its high mortality over 95%, effective therapeutic drug for PAM has not been developed yet. Therefore, development of an effective and safe therapeutic drug for PAM is urgently needed. In this study, we investigated anti-amoebic effect of kaempferol (KPF) against N. fowleri and its underlying anti-amoebic molecular mechanisms. METHODS Anti-amoebic activity of KPF against N. fowleri trophozoites, as well as cytotoxicity of KPF in C6 glial cells and CHO-K1 cells were investigated. The programmed cell death mechanisms in KPF-treated N. fowleri were also analyzed by apoptosis-necrosis assay, mitochondrial dysfunction assay, TUNEL assay, RT-qPCR, and CYTO-ID assay. RESULTS KPF showed anti-amoebic activity against N. fowleri trophozoites with an IC50 of 29.28 ± 0.63 μM. However, it showed no significant cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. KPF induced significant morphological alterations of the amoebae, resulting in death. Signals associated with apoptosis were detected in the amoebae upon treatment with KPF. KPF induced an increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species level, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, increases of expression levels of genes associated with mitochondria dysfunction, and reduction of ATP levels in the amoebae. Autophagic vacuole accumulations with increased expression levels of autophagy-related genes were also detected in KPF-treated amoebae. CONCLUSION KPF induces programmed cell death in N. fowleri trophozoites via apoptosis-like pathway and autophagy pathway. KPF could be used as a candidate of anti-amoebic drug or supplement compound in the process of developing or optimizing therapeutic drug for PAM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hương Giang Lê
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea; Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Jung-Mi Kang
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea; Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Tuấn Cường Võ
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea; Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Byoung-Kuk Na
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea; Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Russell AC, Bush P, Grigorean G, Kyle DE. Characterization of the extracellular vesicles, ultrastructural morphology, and intercellular interactions of multiple clinical isolates of the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1264348. [PMID: 37808283 PMCID: PMC10558758 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1264348] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction As global temperatures rise to unprecedented historic levels, so too do the latitudes of habitable niches for the pathogenic free-living amoeba, Naegleria fowleri. This opportunistic parasite causes a rare, but >97% fatal, neurological infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Despite its lethality, this parasite remains one of the most neglected and understudied parasitic protozoans. Methods To better understand amoeboid intercellular communication, we elucidate the structure, proteome, and potential secretion mechanisms of amoeba-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are membrane-bound communication apparatuses that relay messages and can be used as biomarkers for diagnostics in various diseases. Results and Discussion Herein we propose that N. fowleri secretes EVs in clusters from the plasma membrane, from multivesicular bodies, and via beading of thin filaments extruding from the membrane. Uptake assays demonstrate that EVs are taken up by other amoebae and mammalian cells, and we observed a real-time increase in metabolic activity for mammalian cells exposed to EVs from amoebae. Proteomic analysis revealed >2,000 proteins within the N. fowleri-secreted EVs, providing targets for the development of diagnostics or therapeutics. Our work expands the knowledge of intercellular interactions among these amoebae and subsequently deepens the understanding of the mechanistic basis of PAM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. Cassiopeia Russell
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Peter Bush
- School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Gabriela Grigorean
- Proteomics Core Facility, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Dennis E. Kyle
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lê HG, Kang JM, Võ TC, Yoo WG, Na BK. Naegleria fowleri Extracellular Vesicles Induce Proinflammatory Immune Responses in BV-2 Microglial Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13623. [PMID: 37686429 PMCID: PMC10487526 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713623] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) of protozoan parasites have diverse biological functions that are essential for parasite survival and host-parasite interactions. In this study, we characterized the functional properties of EVs from Naegleria fowleri, a pathogenic amoeba that causes a fatal brain infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). N. fowleri EVs (NfEVs) have been shown to be internalized by host cells such as C6 glial cells and BV-2 microglial cells without causing direct cell death, indicating their potential roles in modulating host cell functions. NfEVs induced increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, IFN-γ, MIP-1α, and MIP-2 in BV-2 microglial cells; these increases were initiated via MyD88-dependent TLR-2/TLR-4. The production levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in NfEVs-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells were effectively downregulated by inhibitors of MAPK, NF-κB, or JAK-STAT. Phosphorylation levels of JNK, p38, ERK, p65, JAK-1, and STAT3 were increased in NfEVs-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells but were effectively suppressed by each corresponding inhibitor. These results suggest that NfEVs could induce proinflammatory immune responses in BV-2 microglial cells via the NF-κB-dependent MAPK and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Taken together, these findings suggest that NfEVs are pathogenic factors involved in the contact-independent pathogenic mechanisms of N. fowleri by inducing proinflammatory immune responses in BV-2 microglial cells, further contributing to deleterious inflammation in infected foci by activating subsequent inflammation cascades in other brain cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hương Giang Lê
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea (J.-M.K.); (T.C.V.); (W.G.Y.)
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Mi Kang
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea (J.-M.K.); (T.C.V.); (W.G.Y.)
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
| | - Tuấn Cường Võ
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea (J.-M.K.); (T.C.V.); (W.G.Y.)
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Gi Yoo
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea (J.-M.K.); (T.C.V.); (W.G.Y.)
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung-Kuk Na
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea (J.-M.K.); (T.C.V.); (W.G.Y.)
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chao-Pellicer J, Arberas-Jiménez I, Fuchs F, Sifaoui I, Piñero JE, Lorenzo-Morales J, Scheid P. Repurposing of Nitroxoline as an Alternative Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis Treatment. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1280. [PMID: 37627700 PMCID: PMC10451279 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12081280] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the pathogenic free-living amoebae (FLA), Naegleria fowleri is the etiological agent of a fatal disease known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Once infection begins, the lesions generated in the central nervous system (CNS) result in the onset of symptoms leading to death in a short period of time. Currently, there is no standardized treatment against the infection, which, due to the high virulence of the parasite, results in a high case fatality rate (>97%). Therefore, it is essential to search for new therapeutic sources that can generate a rapid elimination of the parasite. In recent years, there have already been several successful examples of drug repurposing, such as Nitroxoline, for which, in addition to its known bioactive properties, anti-Balamuthia activity has recently been described. Following this approach, the anti-Naegleria activity of Nitroxoline was tested. Nitroxoline displayed low micromolar activity against two different strains of N. fowleri trophozoites (IC50 values of 1.63 ± 0.37 µM and 1.17 ± 0.21 µM) and against cyst stages (IC50 of 1.26 ± 0.42 μM). The potent anti-parasitic activity compared to the toxicity produced (selectivity index of 3.78 and 5.25, respectively) in murine macrophages and human cell lines (reported in previous studies), together with the induction of programmed cell death (PCD)-related events in N. fowleri make Nitroxoline a great candidate for an alternative PAM treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Chao-Pellicer
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; (J.C.-P.); (I.A.-J.); (I.S.)
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Iñigo Arberas-Jiménez
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; (J.C.-P.); (I.A.-J.); (I.S.)
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Frieder Fuchs
- Department of Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Bundeswehr Central Hospital Koblenz, 56072 Koblenz, Germany;
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, 50935 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ines Sifaoui
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; (J.C.-P.); (I.A.-J.); (I.S.)
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - José E. Piñero
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; (J.C.-P.); (I.A.-J.); (I.S.)
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; (J.C.-P.); (I.A.-J.); (I.S.)
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38203 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Patrick Scheid
- Parasitology Lab., Central Military Hospital Koblenz, 56072 Koblenz, Germany
- Department of Biology, Working Group Parasitology and Infection Biology, University Koblenz, 56070 Koblenz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Siddiqui R, Yee Ong TY, Maciver S, Khan NA. Can Amphotericin B-mediated effects be limited using intranasal versus intravenous route? Ther Deliv 2023; 14:485-490. [PMID: 37691579 DOI: 10.4155/tde-2023-0032] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: CNS infections due to parasites often prove fatal. In part, this is due to inefficacy of drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier. Methods: Here, we tested intranasal and intravenous route and compared adverse effects of Amphotericin B administration, through blood biochemistry, liver, kidney and brain histopathological evidence of toxicities in vivo post-administration. Results: It was observed that intranasal route limits the adverse side effects of Amphotericin B, in contrast to intravenous route. Conclusion: As parasites such as Naegleria fowleri exhibit unequivocal affinity toward the olfactory bulb and frontal lobe in the central nervous system, intranasal administration would directly reach amoebae bypassing the blood-brain barrier selectivity and achieve the minimum inhibitory concentration at the target site.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
- College of Arts & Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah - United Arab Emirates
- Microbiota Research Center, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey
| | - Timothy Yu Yee Ong
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science & Technology, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Sutherland Maciver
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Naveed Ahmed Khan
- Microbiota Research Center, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Gutiérrez-Sánchez M, Carrasco-Yépez MM, Correa-Basurto J, Ramírez-Salinas GL, Rojas-Hernández S. Two MP2CL5 Antigen Vaccines from Naegleria fowleri Stimulate the Immune Response against Meningitis in the BALB/c Model. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0018123. [PMID: 37272791 PMCID: PMC10353451 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00181-23] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is an etiological agent that generates primary amoebic meningoencephalitis; unfortunately, no effective treatment or vaccine is available. The objective of this work was to determine the immunoprotective response of two vaccine antigens, as follows: (i) the polypeptide band of 19 kDa or (ii) a predicted immunogenic peptide from the membrane protein MP2CL5 (Smp145). Both antigens were administered intranasally in mice using cholera toxin (CT) as an adjuvant. The survival rate and immune response of immunized mice with both antigens and challenged with N. fowleri trophozoites were measured in the nose-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) and nasal passages (NPs) by flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We also determined the immunolocalization of both antigens in N. fowleri trophozoites by confocal microscopy. Immunization with the polypeptide band of 19 kDa alone or coadministered with CT was able to confer 80% and 100% of protection, respectively. The immunization with both antigens (alone or coadministered with CT) showed an increase in T and B lymphocytes. In addition, there was an increase in the expression of integrin α4β1 and IgA in the nasal cavity of protected mice, and the IgA, IgG, and IgM levels were increased in serum and nasal washes. The immunolocalization of both antigens in N. fowleri trophozoites was observed in the plasma membrane, specifically in pseudopod-like structures. The MP2CL5 antigens evaluated in this work were capable of conferring protection which would lead us to consider them as potential candidates for vaccines against meningitis caused by N. fowleri.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mara Gutiérrez-Sánchez
- Laboratorio de Inmunobiología Molecular y Celular, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - María Maricela Carrasco-Yépez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología, Grupo CyMA, Unidad de Investigación Interdisciplinaria en Ciencias de la Salud y la Educación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM FES Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Mexico
| | - José Correa-Basurto
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotécnológica (Laboratory for the Design and Development of New Drugs and Biotechnological Innovation), Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gema Lizbeth Ramírez-Salinas
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotécnológica (Laboratory for the Design and Development of New Drugs and Biotechnological Innovation), Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Saúl Rojas-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Inmunobiología Molecular y Celular, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Gajula SN, Nalla LV. Fighting with brain-eating amoeba: challenges and new insights to open a road for the treatment of Naegleria fowleri infection. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2023; 21:1277-1279. [PMID: 37750324 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2263644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Siva Nageswararao Gajula
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, GITAM School of Pharmacy, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Lakshmi Vineela Nalla
- Department of Pharmacy, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, Andhra Pradesh, India
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Baqer NN, Mohammed AS, A.AL-Aboody B, Ismail AM. Genetic Detection of Amoebic Meningoencephalitis Causing by Naegleria Fowleri in Iraq: A Case Report. Iran J Parasitol 2023; 18:408-413. [PMID: 37886244 PMCID: PMC10597877 DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v18i3.13765] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
We diagnosed a case report of amoebic meningoencephalitis by Naegleria fowleri. This case represented the first recording in Iraq where it was not recording previously. This case was diagnosed after the death of an 18-year-old girl patient who lived in a rural area of Mosul in Iraq. Genetics detection of N. fowleri showed PCR product was 183bp for 18S rRNA gene. It was registered as the first recording of Iraqi isolate N. fowleri in GenBank with accession number OP380864.1. It is necessary to examine microscopically the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) to observe the amoeba stages and exclude the bacterial causative. Rapid diagnosis may help in the treatment of amoebic meningoencephalitis. In addition, genetic identification can diagnose amoeba. Avoiding swimming or using freshwater contributes to prevent amoebic meningoencephalitis infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noor Nihad Baqer
- Water and Environment Directorate, Ministry of Science and Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
| | | | - Bassad A.AL-Aboody
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Thi-Qar, Nasiriyah, Iraq
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Arberas-Jiménez I, Cen-Pacheco F, Chao-Pellicer J, Sifaoui I, Rizo-Liendo A, Morales EQ, Daranas AH, Díaz-Marrero AR, Piñero JE, Fernández JJ, Lorenzo-Morales J. Identification and characterization of novel marine oxasqualenoid yucatecone against Naegleria fowleri. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2023; 22:61-71. [PMID: 37270868 PMCID: PMC10258243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2023.05.004] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is an opportunistic protozoan, belonging to the free-living amoeba group, that can be found in warm water bodies. It is causative agent the primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a fulminant disease with a rapid progression that affects the central nervous system. However, no 100% effective treatments are available and those that are currently used involve the appearance of severe side effects, therefore, there is an urgent need to find novel antiamoebic compounds with low toxicity. In this study, the in vitro activity of six oxasqualenoids obtained from the red algae Laurencia viridis was evaluated against two different strains of N. fowleri (ATCC® 30808 and ATCC® 30215) as well as their cytotoxicity against murine macrophages. Yucatecone was the molecule with the highest selectivity index (>2.98 and 5.23 respectively) and it was selected to continue with the cell death type determination assays. Results showed that yucatone induced programmed cell death like responses in treated amoebae causing DNA condensation and cellular membrane damage among others. In this family of oxasqualenoids, it seems that the most significative structural feature to induce activity against N. fowleri is the presence of a ketone at C-18. This punctual oxidation transforms an inactive compound into a lead compound as the yucatecone and 18-ketodehydrotyrsiferol with IC50 values of 16.25 and 12.70 μM, respectively. The assessment of in silico ADME/Tox analysis revealed that the active compounds showed good Human Oral Absorption and demonstrate that are found to be within the limit of approved drug parameter range. Hence, the study highlights promising potential of yucatone to be tested for therapeutic use against primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iñigo Arberas-Jiménez
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Francisco Cen-Pacheco
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Facultad de Bioanálisis, Universidad Veracruzana (UV), Agustín de Iturbide s/n, Centro, Veracruz, 91700, Mexico
| | - Javier Chao-Pellicer
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28220, Spain
| | - Ines Sifaoui
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Aitor Rizo-Liendo
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ezequiel Q Morales
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, La Laguna, 38206, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Antonio H Daranas
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, La Laguna, 38206, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ana R Díaz-Marrero
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, La Laguna, 38206, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - José E Piñero
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
| | - José J Fernández
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Aykur M, Dagci H. Molecular identification of Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris and Naegleria fowleri in soil samples using quantitative real-time PCR assay in Turkey; Hidden danger in the soil! Acta Trop 2023:106956. [PMID: 37244403 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106956] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Naegleria fowleri are pathogenic free-living amoeba (FLA) and are commonly found in the environment, particularly soil. This pathogenic FLA causes central nervous system-affecting granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE) or primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) and can also cause keratitis and skin infections. In the present study, we aimed to determine the quantitative concentration of Acanthamoeba spp., B. mandrillaris, and N. fowleri in soil samples collected from places where human contact is high by using a qPCR assay in Izmir, Turkey. A total of 45.71% (n=16) of Acanthamoeba spp., 20% (n=7) of B. mandrillaris, and 17.4% (n=6) of N. fowleri were detected in five different soil sources by the qPCR assay. The quantitative concentration of Acanthamoeba spp., B. mandrillaris, and N. fowleri in various soil sources was calculated at 10 × 105 - 6 × 102, 47 × 104 to 39 × 103, and 9 × 103 - 8 × 102 plasmid copies/gr, respectively. While the highest quantitative concentration of Acanthamoeba spp. and B. mandrillaris was determined in garden soil samples, N. fowleri was detected in potting soil samples. Three different genotypes T2 (18.75%), T4 (56.25%), and T5 (25%) were identified from Acanthamoeba-positive soil samples. Acanthamoeba T4 genotype was the most frequently detected genotype from soil samples and is also the most common genotype to cause infection in humans and animals. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first study to identify genotype T5 in soil samples from Turkey. In conclusion, people and especially children should be aware of the hidden danger in the garden and potting soil samples that come into contact most frequently. Public health awareness should be raised about human infections that may be encountered due to contact with the soil. Public health specialists should raise awareness about this hidden danger in soil.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Aykur
- Department of Parasitology, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University Medical School, Tokat, Turkey; Department of Parasitology, Ege University Medical School, İzmir, Turkey.
| | - Hande Dagci
- Department of Parasitology, Ege University Medical School, İzmir, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Che X, He Z, Tung TH, Xia H, Lu Z. Diagnosis of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis by metagenomic next-generation sequencing: A case report. Open Life Sci 2023; 18:20220579. [PMID: 37250842 PMCID: PMC10224627 DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0579] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by Naegleria fowleri is a fatal infection with a mortality rate of more than 95%, despite advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and supportive care. Initial manifestations of PAM are indistinguishable from bacterial meningitis. Prompt diagnosis and antifungal treatment may help decline the overall mortality. Here we present a case of a 38-year-old man transferred to our hospital due to mild headache, which deteriorated quickly. Severe increased intracranial pressure was found. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was yellowish with significantly increased leukocyte and protein. Smear and culture were negative. The patient was first diagnosed with pyogenic meningoencephalitis. However, the symptoms deteriorated. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of CSF was applied and finally confirmed N. fowleri as the protist pathogen within 24 h. However, due to the time cost of sampling and transportation (2 days), the diagnosis came too late, and the patient passed away 1 day before. In summary, mNGS is a rapid and accurate diagnostic method for clinical practices, especially for rare central nervous system infections. It should be used as quickly as possible for acute infections, such as PAM. All aspects of patient interrogation and prompt identification should be paramount to ensure appropriate treatment and decline the overall mortality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiujuan Che
- Department of Neurology, Neurointensive Care Unit, The Maoming People’s Hospital, Maoming 525000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhiyi He
- Department of Neurology, Neurointensive Care Unit, The Maoming People’s Hospital, Maoming 525000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Tao-Hsin Tung
- Department of Medical Research and Education, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, China
| | - Han Xia
- Department of Scientific Affairs, Hugobiotech Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Zhibao Lu
- Department of Neurology, Neurointensive Care Unit, The Maoming People’s Hospital, Maoming 525000, Guangdong Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Chao-Pellicer J, Arberas-Jiménez I, Delgado-Hernández S, Sifaoui I, Tejedor D, García-Tellado F, Piñero JE, Lorenzo-Morales J. Cyanomethyl Vinyl Ethers Against Naegleria fowleri. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 37167960 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is a pathogenic amoeba that causes a fulminant and rapidly progressive disease affecting the central nervous system called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Moreover, the disease is fatal in more than 97% of the reported cases, mostly affecting children and young people after practicing aquatic activities in nontreated fresh and warm water bodies contaminated with these amoebae. Currently, the treatment of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is based on a combination of different antibiotics and antifungals, which are not entirely effective and lead to numerous side effects. In the recent years, research against PAM is focused on the search of novel, less toxic, and fully effective antiamoebic agents. Previous studies have reported the activity of cyano-substituted molecules in different protozoa. Therefore, the activity of 46 novel synthetic cyanomethyl vinyl ethers (QOET-51 to QOET-96) against two type strains of N. fowleri (ATCC 30808 and ATCC 30215) was determined. The data showed that QOET-51, QOET-59, QOET-64, QOET-67, QOET-72, QOET-77, and QOET-79 were the most active molecules. In fact, the selectivity index (CC50/IC50) was sixfold higher when compared to the activities of the drugs of reference. In addition, the mechanism of action of these compounds was studied, with the aim to demonstrate the induction of a programmed cell death process in N. fowleri.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Chao-Pellicer
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, La Laguna 38203, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias 38200, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28220, Spain
| | - Iñigo Arberas-Jiménez
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, La Laguna 38203, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias 38200, Spain
| | - Samuel Delgado-Hernández
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Fco. Sánchez 3, La Laguna 38206, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
- Departamento de Química. Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife 38206, Spain
| | - Ines Sifaoui
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, La Laguna 38203, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias 38200, Spain
| | - David Tejedor
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Fco. Sánchez 3, La Laguna 38206, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
- Departamento de Química. Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife 38206, Spain
| | - Fernando García-Tellado
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Fco. Sánchez 3, La Laguna 38206, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
- Departamento de Química. Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife 38206, Spain
| | - José E Piñero
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, La Laguna 38203, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias 38200, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28220, Spain
| | - Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, La Laguna 38203, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias 38200, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28220, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Ferrins L, Buskes MJ, Kapteyn MM, Engels HN, Enos SE, Lu C, Klug DM, Singh B, Quotadamo A, Bachovchin K, Tear WF, Spaulding AE, Forbes KC, Bag S, Rivers M, LeBlanc C, Burchfield E, Armand JR, Diaz-Gonzalez R, Ceballos-Perez G, García-Hernández R, Pérez-Moreno G, Bosch-Navarrete C, Gómez-Liñán C, Ruiz-Pérez LM, Gamarro F, González-Pacanowska D, Navarro M, Mensa-Wilmot K, Pollastri MP, Kyle DE, Rice CA. Identification of novel anti-amoebic pharmacophores from kinase inhibitor chemotypes. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1149145. [PMID: 37234530 PMCID: PMC10206040 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1149145] [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] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Acanthamoeba species, Naegleria fowleri, and Balamuthia mandrillaris are opportunistic pathogens that cause a range of brain, skin, eye, and disseminated diseases in humans and animals. These pathogenic free-living amoebae (pFLA) are commonly misdiagnosed and have sub-optimal treatment regimens which contribute to the extremely high mortality rates (>90%) when they infect the central nervous system. To address the unmet medical need for effective therapeutics, we screened kinase inhibitor chemotypes against three pFLA using phenotypic drug assays involving CellTiter-Glo 2.0. Herein, we report the activity of the compounds against the trophozoite stage of each of the three amoebae, ranging from nanomolar to low micromolar potency. The most potent compounds that were identified from this screening effort were: 2d (A. castellanii EC50: 0.92 ± 0.3 μM; and N. fowleri EC50: 0.43 ± 0.13 μM), 1c and 2b (N. fowleri EC50s: <0.63 μM, and 0.3 ± 0.21 μM), and 4b and 7b (B. mandrillaris EC50s: 1.0 ± 0.12 μM, and 1.4 ± 0.17 μM, respectively). With several of these pharmacophores already possessing blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability properties, or are predicted to penetrate the BBB, these hits present novel starting points for optimization as future treatments for pFLA-caused diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lori Ferrins
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Melissa J. Buskes
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Madison M. Kapteyn
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Hannah N. Engels
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Suzanne E. Enos
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Chenyang Lu
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Dana M. Klug
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Baljinder Singh
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Antonio Quotadamo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Kelly Bachovchin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Westley F. Tear
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Andrew E. Spaulding
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Katherine C. Forbes
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Seema Bag
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mitch Rivers
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Catherine LeBlanc
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Erin Burchfield
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jeremy R. Armand
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Rosario Diaz-Gonzalez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Gloria Ceballos-Perez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Raquel García-Hernández
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Guiomar Pérez-Moreno
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Cristina Bosch-Navarrete
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Claudia Gómez-Liñán
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ruiz-Pérez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Francisco Gamarro
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Dolores González-Pacanowska
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Miguel Navarro
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra” Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Kojo Mensa-Wilmot
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, United States
| | - Michael P. Pollastri
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Dennis E. Kyle
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Christopher A. Rice
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Siddiqui R, Boghossian A, Alqassim SS, Kawish M, Gul J, Jabri T, Shah MR, Khan NA. Anti-Balamuthia mandrillaris and anti- Naegleria fowleri effects of drugs conjugated with various nanostructures. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:170. [PMID: 37017767 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03518-8] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Balamuthia mandrillaris and Naegleria fowleri are protist pathogens that can cause fatal infections. Despite mortality rate of > 90%, there is no effective therapy. Treatment remains problematic involving repurposed drugs, e.g., azoles, amphotericin B and miltefosine but requires early diagnosis. In addition to drug discovery, modifying existing drugs using nanotechnology offers promise in the development of therapeutic interventions against these parasitic infections. Herein, various drugs conjugated with nanoparticles were developed and evaluated for their antiprotozoal activities. Characterizations of the drugs' formulations were accomplished utilizing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, efficiency of drug entrapment, polydispersity index, zeta potential, size, and surface morphology. The nanoconjugates were tested against human cells to determine their toxicity in vitro. The majority of drug nanoconjugates exhibited amoebicidal effects against B. mandrillaris and N. fowleri. Amphotericin B-, Sulfamethoxazole-, Metronidazole-based nanoconjugates are of interest since they exhibited significant amoebicidal effects against both parasites (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Sulfamethoxazole and Naproxen significantly diminished host cell death caused by B. mandrillaris by up to 70% (p < 0.05), while Amphotericin B-, Sulfamethoxazole-, Metronidazole-based drug nanoconjugates showed the highest reduction in host cell death caused by N. fowleri by up to 80%. When tested alone, all of the drug nanoconjugates tested in this study showed limited toxic effects against human cells in vitro (less than 20%). Although these are promising findings, prospective work is warranted to comprehend the mechanistic details of nanoconjugates versus amoebae as well as their in vivo testing, to develop antimicrobials against the devastating infections caused by these parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
- College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey
| | - Anania Boghossian
- College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saif S Alqassim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 505055, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Muhammad Kawish
- International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
| | - Jasra Gul
- International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
| | - Tooba Jabri
- International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Raza Shah
- International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan
| | - Naveed Ahmed Khan
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, University City, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Miko S, Cope JR, Hlavsa MC, Ali IKM, Brown TW, Collins JP, Greeley RD, Kahler AM, Moore KO, Roundtree AV, Roy S, Sanders LL, Shah V, Stuteville HD, Mattioli MC. A Case of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis Associated with Surfing at an Artificial Surf Venue: Environmental Investigation. ACS ES T Water 2023; 3:1126-1133. [PMID: 37213412 PMCID: PMC10193442 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00592] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic ameba found in freshwater that causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) when it enters the nose and migrates to the brain. In September 2018, a 29-year-old man died of PAM after traveling to Texas. We conducted an epidemiologic and environmental investigation to identify the water exposure associated with this PAM case. The patient's most probable water exposure occurred while surfing in an artificial surf venue. The surf venue water was not filtered or recirculated; water disinfection and water quality testing were not documented. N. fowleri and thermophilic amebae were detected in recreational water and sediment samples throughout the facility. Codes and standards for treated recreational water venues open to the public could be developed to address these novel venues. Clinicians and public health officials should also consider novel recreational water venues as a potential exposure for this rare amebic infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shanna Miko
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | - Jennifer R. Cope
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | - Michele C. Hlavsa
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | - Ibne Karim M. Ali
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | - Travis W. Brown
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | - Jennifer P. Collins
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | | | - Amy M. Kahler
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | - Kathleen O. Moore
- Texas Department of State Health Services, P.O. Box 149347, Austin, TX 78714-9347
| | - Alexis V. Roundtree
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
- Chenega Enterprise System & Solutions, 609 Independence Parkway Suite 210, Chesapeake, VA 23320
| | - Shantanu Roy
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
| | - Lacey L. Sanders
- Waco-McLennan County Public Health District; 225 W Waco Dr, Waco, TX 76707
| | - Vaidehi Shah
- Waco-McLennan County Public Health District; 225 W Waco Dr, Waco, TX 76707
| | - Haylea D. Stuteville
- Texas Department of State Health Services, P.O. Box 149347, Austin, TX 78714-9347
| | - Mia C. Mattioli
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Rojas-Ortega DA, Rojas-Hernández S, Sánchez-Mendoza ME, Gómez-López M, Sánchez-Camacho JV, Rosales-Cruz E, Yépez MMC. Role of FcγRIII in the nasal cavity of BALB/c mice in the primary amebic meningoencephalitis protection model. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:1087-1105. [PMID: 36913025 PMCID: PMC10009362 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07810-w] [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] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Different mechanisms of the host immune response against the primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in the mouse protection model have been described. It has been proposed that antibodies opsonize Naegleria fowleri trophozoites; subsequently, the polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) surround the trophozoites to avoid the infection. FcγRs activate signaling pathways of adapter proteins such as Syk and Hck on PMNs to promote different effector cell functions which are induced by the Fc portion of the antibody-antigen complexes. In this work, we analyzed the activation of PMNs, epithelial cells, and nasal passage cells via the expression of Syk and Hck genes. Our results showed an increment of the FcγRIII and IgG subclasses in the nasal cavity from immunized mice as well as Syk and Hck expression was increased, whereas in the in vitro assay, we observed that when the trophozoites of N. fowleri were opsonized with IgG anti-N. fowleri and interacted with PMN, the expression of Syk and Hck was also increased. We suggest that PMNs are activated via their FcγRIII, which leads to the elimination of the trophozoites in vitro, while in the nasal cavity, the adhesion and consequently infection are avoided.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Alexander Rojas-Ortega
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Molecular, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Salvador Diaz Mirón Esq. Plan de San Luis S/N, Miguel Hidalgo, Casco de Santo Tomas, Ciudad de Mexico, México
| | - Saúl Rojas-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Molecular, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Salvador Diaz Mirón Esq. Plan de San Luis S/N, Miguel Hidalgo, Casco de Santo Tomas, Ciudad de Mexico, México
| | - María Elena Sánchez-Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Molecular, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Salvador Diaz Mirón Esq. Plan de San Luis S/N, Miguel Hidalgo, Casco de Santo Tomas, Ciudad de Mexico, México
| | - Modesto Gómez-López
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Molecular, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Salvador Diaz Mirón Esq. Plan de San Luis S/N, Miguel Hidalgo, Casco de Santo Tomas, Ciudad de Mexico, México
| | - Jennifer Viridiana Sánchez-Camacho
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Molecular, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Salvador Diaz Mirón Esq. Plan de San Luis S/N, Miguel Hidalgo, Casco de Santo Tomas, Ciudad de Mexico, México
| | - Erika Rosales-Cruz
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Hematopatología, Departamento de Morfología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Ciudad de Mexico, México
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Ženíšková K, Mach J, Arbon D, Štursa J, Werner L, Zoltner M, Sutak R. The 4-Aminomethylphenoxy-Benzoxaborole AN3057 as a Potential Treatment Option for Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0150622. [PMID: 36688657 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01506-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is a rare but fatal central nervous system (CNS) disease caused by the "brain-eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri. A major obstacle is the requirement for drugs with the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which are used in extremely high doses, cause severe side effects, and are usually ineffective. We discovered that the 4-aminomethylphenoxy-benzoxaborole AN3057 exhibits nanomolar potency against N. fowleri, and experimental treatment of infected mice significantly prolonged survival and demonstrated a 28% relapse-free cure rate.
Collapse
|
33
|
Chen XT, Zhang Q, Wen SY, Chen FF, Zhou CQ. Pathogenic free-living amoebic encephalitis from 48 cases in China: A systematic review. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1100785. [PMID: 36846140 PMCID: PMC9947844 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1100785] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Free-living amoebae (FLA) including Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., and Balamuthia mandrillaris can become pathogenic and cause severe cerebral infections, named primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE), and balamuthia amoebic encephalitis (BAE), respectively. FLA encephalitis has been reported across China, but the clinical data descriptions and analytical results of these different reports vary widely. Currently, no consensus treatment has been established. We conduct a systematic review to evaluate the exposure location, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of three FLA encephalitis and aim to reveal the differences between three FLA encephalitis in China. Methods We used MEDLINE (PubMed interface), EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, and China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc) databases for literatures published and manually retrieve the hospital records of our hospital. The search time was up to August 30, 2022, with no language restrictions. Results After excluding possible duplicate cases, a total of 48 patients of three FLA encephalitis were collected. One from the medical records of our hospital and 47 patients from 31 different studies. There were 11 patients of PAM, 10 patients of GAE, and 27 patients of BAE. The onset of PAM is mostly acute or subacute, and the clinical symptoms are acute and fulminant hemorrhagic meningoencephalitis. Most patients with GAE and BAE have an insidious onset and a chronic course. A total of 21 BAE patients (77.8%) had skin lesions before onset of symptoms. Additionally, 37 cases (77.1%) were diagnosed with FLA encephalitis before death. And there were 4 of PAM, 2 of GAE, and 10 of BAE diagnosed using next generation sequencing. No single agent can be proposed as the ideal therapy by itself. Only 6 cases were successfully treated. Conclusions This review provides an overview of the available data and studies of FLA encephalitis in China and identify some potential differences. FLA encephalitis is a rare but pathogenic infection, and physicians should early identify this encephalitis to improve survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Chang-Qing Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Bishan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ahmad Zamzuri M‘AI, Abd Majid FN, Mihat M, Ibrahim SS, Ismail M, Abd Aziz S, Mohamed Z, Rejali L, Yahaya H, Abdullah Z, Hassan MR, Dapari R, Mohd Isa AM. Systematic Review of Brain-Eating Amoeba: A Decade Update. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:3021. [PMID: 36833715 PMCID: PMC9964342 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare but lethal infection of the brain caused by a eukaryote called Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri). The aim of this review is to consolidate the recently published case reports of N. fowleri infection by describing its epidemiology and clinical features with the goal of ultimately disseminating this information to healthcare personnel. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was carried out using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and OVID databases until 31 December 2022 by two independent reviewers. All studies from the year 2013 were extracted, and quality assessments were carried out meticulously prior to their inclusion in the final analysis. RESULTS A total of 21 studies were selected for qualitative analyses out of the 461 studies extracted. The cases were distributed globally, and 72.7% of the cases succumbed to mortality. The youngest case was an 11-day-old boy, while the eldest was a 75-year-old. Significant exposure to freshwater either from recreational activities or from a habit of irrigating the nostrils preceded onset. The symptoms at early presentation included fever, headache, and vomiting, while late sequalae showed neurological manifestation. An accurate diagnosis remains a challenge, as the symptoms mimic bacterial meningitis. Confirmatory tests include the direct visualisation of the amoeba or the use of the polymerase chain reaction method. CONCLUSIONS N. fowleri infection is rare but leads to PAM. Its occurrence is worldwide with a significant risk of fatality. The suggested probable case definition based on the findings is the acute onset of fever, headache, and vomiting with meningeal symptoms following exposure to freshwater within the previous 14 days. Continuous health promotion and health education activities for the public can help to improve knowledge and awareness prior to engagement in freshwater activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Farah Nabila Abd Majid
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Massitah Mihat
- Negeri Sembilan State Health Department, Jalan Rasah, Seremban 70300, Malaysia
| | - Siti Salwa Ibrahim
- Negeri Sembilan State Health Department, Jalan Rasah, Seremban 70300, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Ismail
- Negeri Sembilan State Health Department, Jalan Rasah, Seremban 70300, Malaysia
| | - Suriyati Abd Aziz
- Negeri Sembilan State Health Department, Jalan Rasah, Seremban 70300, Malaysia
| | - Zuraida Mohamed
- Negeri Sembilan State Health Department, Jalan Rasah, Seremban 70300, Malaysia
| | - Lokman Rejali
- Negeri Sembilan State Health Department, Jalan Rasah, Seremban 70300, Malaysia
| | - Hazlina Yahaya
- Public Health Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya 62000, Malaysia
| | - Zulhizzam Abdullah
- Public Health Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya 62000, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Rohaizat Hassan
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
- Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia
| | - Rahmat Dapari
- Department of Community Health, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
| | - Abd Majid Mohd Isa
- Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts, INTI International University, Persiaran Perdana BBN Putra Nilai, Nilai 71800, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Saleem T, Jamal SB, Alzahrani B, Basheer A, Wajid Abbasi S, Ali M, Rehman AU, Faheem M. In-silico drug design for the novel Karachi-NF001 strain of brain-eating amoeba: Naegleria fowleri. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1098217. [PMID: 36845543 PMCID: PMC9948250 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1098217] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) is a free-living thermophilic amoeba of fresh water and soil. The amoeba primarily feeds on bacteria but can be transmitted to humans upon contact with freshwater sources. Furthermore, this brain-eating amoeba enters the human body through the nose and travels to the brain to cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). N. fowleri has been reported globally since its discovery in 1961. Recently a new strain of N. fowleri named Karachi-NF001 was found in a patient who had traveled from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Karachi in 2019. There were 15 unique genes identified in the genome of the Karachi-NF001 strain compared to all the previously reported strains of N. fowleri worldwide. Six of these genes encode well-known proteins. In this study, we performed in-silico analysis on 5 of these 6 proteins, namely, Rab family small GTPase, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 11, two Glutamine-rich protein 2 proteins (locus tags: 12086 and 12110), and Tigger transposable element-derived protein 1. We conducted homology modeling of these 5 proteins followed by their active site identification. These proteins were subjected to molecular docking against 105 anti-bacterial ligand compounds as potential drugs. Subsequently, the 10 best-docked compounds were determined for each protein and ranked according to the number of interactions and their binding energies. The highest binding energy was recorded for the two Glutamine-rich protein 2 proteins with different locus tags, and results have shown that the protein-inhibitor complex was stable throughout the simulation run. Moreover, future in-vitro studies could validate the findings of our in-silico analysis and identify potential therapeutic drugs against N. fowleri infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tayyab Saleem
- Department of Life Technologies, Faculty of Technology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Syed Babar Jamal
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Badr Alzahrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amina Basheer
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Sumra Wajid Abbasi
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Mahwish Ali
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Ashfaq Ur Rehman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Muhammad Faheem
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan,*Correspondence: Muhammad Faheem,
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Hernández-Ramírez VI, Estrada-Figueroa LA, Medina Y, Lizarazo-Taborda MR, Toledo-Leyva A, Osorio-Trujillo C, Morales-Mora D, Talamás-Rohana P. A monoclonal antibody against a Leishmania mexicana COX-like enzymatic activity also recognizes similar proteins in different protozoa of clinical importance. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:479-492. [PMID: 36562799 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07746-7] [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: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In Leishmania mexicana, the protease gp63 has been documented as the protein responsible for cyclooxygenase (COX) activity. The present work aimed to obtain a monoclonal antibody capable of recognizing this protein without blocking the COX-like enzymatic activity. The antibody produced by the selected hybridoma was named D12 mAb. The antigen recognized by the D12 mAb was characterized by the determination of COX activity associated with immune complexes in the presence of exogenous arachidonic acid (AA) using the commercial Activity Assay Abcam kit. LSM-SMS analysis validated the identity of the antigen associated with the D12 mAb as the L. mexicana protease gp63. Confocal microscopy assays with the D12 mAb detected, by cross-recognition, similar proteins in other protozoan parasites. COX-like molecules are located in vesicular structures, homogeneously distributed throughout the cytoplasm in amastigotes (intracellular infectious phase) and promastigotes of L. mexicana, and trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica, Acanthamoeba castellanii, and Naegleria fowleri. However, in Giardia duodenalis trophozoites, the distribution of the COX-like molecule was also in perinuclear areas. In comparison, in Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes, the distribution was mainly observed in the plasma membrane. Structural analyses of COX-2-like antigens revealed continuous and discontinuous epitopes for B cells, which could be relevant in the cross-reaction of D12 mAb with the analyzed parasites. These results indicate that the D12 mAb against the L. mexicana gp63 also recognizes a COX-like molecule in several protozoan parasites, suggesting that this D12 mAb could potentially be used in combined therapies against infectious diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verónica I Hernández-Ramírez
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, CINVESTAV-IPN, Ciudad de México, CP, 07360, México
| | - Luis A Estrada-Figueroa
- Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial, Arenal Número 550, Primer piso, Pueblo Santa María, Ciudad de México, CP16020, México
| | - Yolanda Medina
- Laboratorio de Anticuerpos Monoclonales Unidad de Desarrollo Tecnológico e Investigación Molecular INDRE, Francisco de P. Miranda 177, Lomas de Plateros, Álvaro Obregón, Ciudad México, CP 01480, México
| | - Mélida R Lizarazo-Taborda
- Programa de Maestría en Microbiología Médica, Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Alfredo Toledo-Leyva
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología., Av. San Fernando 22, Belisario Domínguez Secc 16, Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, CP 14080, México
| | - Carlos Osorio-Trujillo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, CINVESTAV-IPN, Ciudad de México, CP, 07360, México
| | - Daniel Morales-Mora
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, CINVESTAV-IPN, Ciudad de México, CP, 07360, México
| | - Patricia Talamás-Rohana
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, CINVESTAV-IPN, Ciudad de México, CP, 07360, México.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Sohn HJ, Kim JH, Kim K, Park S, Shin HJ. De Novo Transcriptome Profiling of Naegleria fowleri Trophozoites and Cysts via RNA Sequencing. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020174. [PMID: 36839446 PMCID: PMC9959186 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020174] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is a pathogenic free-living amoeba, commonly found around the world in warm, fresh water and soil. N. fowleri trophozoites can infect humans by entering the brain through the nose and causing usually fatal primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Trophozoites can encyst to survive under unfavorable conditions such as cold temperature, starvation, and desiccation. Recent technological advances in genomics and bioinformatics have provided unique opportunities for the identification and pre-validation of pathogen-related and environmental resistance through improved understanding of the biology of pathogenic N. fowleri trophozoites and cysts at a molecular level. However, genomic and transcriptomic data on differential expression genes (DEGs) between trophozoites and cysts of N. fowleri are very limited. Here, we report transcriptome Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) for N. fowleri trophozoites and cysts and de novo transcriptome assembly. RNA-seq libraries were generated from RNA extracted from N. fowleri sampled from cysts, and a reference transcriptome was generated through the assembly of trophozoite data. In the database, the assembly procedure resulted in 42,220 contigs with a mean length of 11,254 nucleotides and a C+G content of 37.21%. RNA sequencing showed that 146 genes in cysts of N. fowleri indicated 2-fold upregulation in comparison with trophozoites of N. fowleri, and 163 genes were downregulated; these genes were found to participate in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway. The KEGG pathway included metabolic (131 sequences) and genetic information processing (66 sequences), cellular processing (43 sequences), environmental information processing (22 sequences), and organismal system (20 sequences) pathways. On the other hand, an analysis of 11,254 sequences via the Gene Ontology database showed that their annotations contained 1069 biological processes including the cellular process (228 sequences) and metabolic process (214 sequences); 923 cellular components including cells (240 sequences) and cell parts (225 sequences); and 415 molecular functions including catalytic activities (195 sequences) and binding processes (186 sequences). Differential expression levels increased in cysts of N. fowleri compared to trophozoites of N. fowleri, which were mainly categorized as serine/threonine protease, kinase, and lipid metabolism-related proteins. These results may provide new insights into pathogen-related genes or environment-resistant genes in the pathogenesis of N. fowleri.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hae-Jin Sohn
- Department of Microbiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Hyun Kim
- Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyongmin Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Park
- Department of Microbiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho-Joon Shin
- Department of Microbiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Berger JR. Amebic infections of the central nervous system. J Neurovirol 2022; 28:467-472. [PMID: 36098909 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-022-01096-x] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The report of death of a person from amebic meningoencephalitis, the proverbial "brain-eating ameba," Naegleria fowleri, acquired in a state park lake in Iowa in July 2022 has once again raised the seasonal alarms about this pathogen. While exceptionally rare, its nearly universal fatality rate has panicked the public and made for good copy for the news media. This review will address free-living ameba that have been identified as causing CNS invasion in man, namely, Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba species, Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Sappinia diploidea (Table 1). Of note, several Acanthamoeba spp. and Balamuthia mandrillaris may also be associated with localized extra-CNS infections in individuals who are immunocompetent and disseminated disease in immunocompromised hosts. These ameba are unique from other protozoa in that they are free-living, have no known insect vector, do not result in a human carrier state, and are typically unassociated with poor sanitation. Table 1 Free-living ameba that have been identified as causing CNS invasion in man, namely, Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba species, Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Sappinia diploidea Entity Pathogenic ameba Predisposing disorders Portal of entry Incubation period Clinical features Radiographic findings CSF finding Diagnostic measures Primary amebic meningoencephalitis Naegleria fowleri; N. australiensis; N. italica Previously healthy children or young adults Olfactory epithelium 2-14 days (average 5 days) Headache, fever, altered mental status, meningeal signs; seizures Brain edema; meningeal enhancement; hydrocephalus; basal ganglia infarctions Increased opening pressure; neutrophilic pleocytosis (~ 1000 cells/cu mm); low glucose Brain biopsy, CSF wet prep, IIF culture or PCR Granulomatous amebic encephalitis Acanthamoeba spp.; Balamuthia mandrillaris; Sappinia diploidea Typically, immunocompromised individual Skin sinuses; olfactory epithelium respiratory tract Weeks to months Headache; altered mental status seizures, focal neurological findings Focal parenchymal lesions with edema; hemorrhagic infarctions; meningeal enhancement Generally, LP contraindicated; when performed lymphocytic pleocytosis; increased protein; low glucose Brain biopsy, CSF culture, wet prep, IIF, or PCR IIF indirect immunofluorescence, LP lumbar puncture, PCR polymerase chain reaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Berger
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, PCAM 765 South Tower, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Convention Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Siddiqui R, El-Gamal MI, Boghossian A, Saeed BQ, Oh CH, Abdel-Maksoud MS, Alharbi AM, Alfahemi H, Khan NA. Imidazothiazole Derivatives Exhibited Potent Effects against Brain-Eating Amoebae. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1515. [PMID: 36358170 PMCID: PMC9686523 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11111515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) is a free-living, unicellular, opportunistic protist responsible for the fatal central nervous system infection, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Given the increase in temperatures due to global warming and climate change, it is estimated that the cases of PAM are on the rise. However, there is a current lack of awareness and effective drugs, meaning there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic drugs. In this study, the target compounds were synthesized and tested for their anti-amoebic properties against N. fowleri. Most compounds exhibited significant amoebicidal effects against N. fowleri; for example, 1h, 1j, and 1q reduced N. fowleri's viability to 15.14%, 17.45% and 28.78%, respectively. Furthermore, the majority of the compounds showed reductions in amoeba-mediated host death. Of interest are the compounds 1f, 1k, and 1v, as they were capable of reducing the amoeba-mediated host cell death to 52.3%, 51%, and 56.9% from 100%, respectively. Additionally, these compounds exhibit amoebicidal properties as well; they were found to decrease N. fowleri's viability to 26.41%, 27.39%, and 24.13% from 100%, respectively. Moreover, the MIC50 values for 1e, 1f, and 1h were determined to be 48.45 µM, 60.87 µM, and 50.96 µM, respectively. Additionally, the majority of compounds were found to exhibit limited cytotoxicity, except for 1l, 1o, 1p, 1m, 1c, 1b, 1zb, 1z, 1y, and 1x, which exhibited negligible toxicity. It is anticipated that these compounds may be developed further as effective treatments against these devastating infections due to brain-eating amoebae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
- College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah 26666, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, Istanbul 34010, Turkey
| | - Mohammed I. El-Gamal
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Anania Boghossian
- College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah 26666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Balsam Qubais Saeed
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Chang-Hyun Oh
- Center of Biomaterials, Korea Institute of Science & Technology (KIST School), Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Science & Technology (UST), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Mohammed S. Abdel-Maksoud
- Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Division, National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Ahmad M. Alharbi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hasan Alfahemi
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha 65799, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naveed Ahmed Khan
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, Istanbul 34010, Turkey
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Joseph RB, Rauf A, Chettali AM, Pillai R, Vijayan A, Mv P. Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in children- report of two cases from South India. Trop Doct 2022; 52:553-555. [PMID: 35880290 DOI: 10.1177/00494755221097046] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Primary Amoebic meningoencephalitis is a rare and fatal neuro-infection caused by free-living fresh-water amoeba Naegleria fowleri. It is a ubiquitous organism and the infection occurs usually via contact with warm water-bodies. The clinical presentation is often indistinguishable from acute bacterial meningitis and the diagnosis can be made by CSF wet smear examination if there is a high index of suspicion. The disease progresses rapidly compared to pyogenic meningitis and usually has a fatal outcome. Reports of two confirmed cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in children from different centres in Kerala state of India are presented here. In spite of early diagnosis and treatment, both these patients demised. Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute meningitis, especially in patients with recent freshwater exposure. Implementation of chlorination of pools of water bodies, especially if re-opened for recreational purpose after prolonged periods of non-use, needs vigorous implementation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Abdul Rauf
- Department of Pediatrics, 75619Baby Memorial Hospital, Calicut, Kerala, India
| | | | - Rajappan Pillai
- Department of Pediatrics, 416649Aster Medcity, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Ajay Vijayan
- Department of Pediatrics, 75619Baby Memorial Hospital, Calicut, Kerala, India
| | - Poornima Mv
- Department of Microbiology, 75619Baby Memorial Hospital, Calicut, Kerala, India
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Aykur M, Dirim Erdogan D, Selvi Gunel N, Guler A, Biray Avci C, Celebisoy N, Gunduz C, Dagci H. Genotyping and Molecular Identification of Acanthamoeba Genotype T4 and Naegleria fowleri from Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples of Patients in Turkey: Is it the Pathogens of Unknown Causes of Death? Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:1372-1383. [PMID: 35864411 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-022-00597-3] [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: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study was aimed to investigate the presence of pathogenic free-living amoebae (FLA) in suspected cases of meningoencephalitis with unknown causes of death in Turkey. METHOD A total of 92 patients, who were diagnosed as meningoencephalitis, were enrolled. All cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were directly microscopically examined and cultured. Acanthamoeba, N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris were further investigated using molecular diagnostic tools including real-time PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses. RESULTS The examined CSF samples were not found positive for the presence of FLA by microscopic examination and culture method. However, two CSF samples were detected positive by real-time PCR assay. Of the positive CSF samples, one was identified as Acanthamoeba genotype T4 and the second positive sample was identified as N. fowleri belonging to genotype II. Furthermore, the pathogens diagnoses was verified through Sanger sequencing. CONCLUSION This study was significant to report the presence of Acanthamoeba genotype T4 and N. fowleri genotype II in CSF samples by real-time PCR assay. The present study shows the significance of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) as one of the differential diagnoses to be considered by clinicians during the evaluation of suspected meningoencephalitis or cases of unknown cause in Turkey. Using real-time PCR, this has made the rapid detection, in a short time-frame, of Acanthamoeba and N. fowleri in CSF samples from patients. The problems with qPCR is that it is not available in every laboratory, reagents are expensive, and it requires skilled and expert personnel to set up these assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Aykur
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey. .,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, PO Box 60030, Tokat, Turkey.
| | - Derya Dirim Erdogan
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey
| | - Nur Selvi Gunel
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey
| | - Ayse Guler
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey
| | - Cigir Biray Avci
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey
| | - Nese Celebisoy
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey
| | - Cumhur Gunduz
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey
| | - Hande Dagci
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Bornova/İzmir, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Ekici A, Alkan S, Aydemir S, Gurbuz E, Unlu AH. Trends in Naegleria fowleri global research: A bibliometric analysis study. Acta Trop 2022; 234:106603. [PMID: 35817194 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is one of the most dangerous protozoan agents. This article describes a bibliometric review of the literature on N. fowleri research indexed in WoS during a 51-year period. The VOSviewer visualization methodology was used to conduct a bibliometric study. The data included articles from the Web of Science database, nations, institutions, journals, keywords, co-authorship, co-citations, international collaborations, and citation rates. A total of 1106 articles were retrieved from the Web of Science database. The articles were cited 21,904 times in total (cited 12,138 times without self-citations). The average citation per article was 19.82. The Hirsch index was 63. The leading country according to the number of published articles was the United States of America (USA) (n = 447; 40.416%), followed by Mexico (n = 80; 7.233%), and Australia (n = 63; 5.696%). Other than these top three countries, the publications were from 74 countries globally. Especially after the 2000s, both the number of citations and the number of publications exhibited an increasing trend. The Virginia Commonwealth University (USA) (9.584%), Centers for Disease Control Prevention (USA) (8.770%), and Instituto Politecnico Nacional Mexico (4.069%) were the leading affiliations. Most of the leading affiliations were from the USA and Mexico. In conclusion, a bibliometric evaluation of N. fowleri was performed for the first time. Authors affiliated with institutions in the USA and Mexico have led scientific production on PAM. Efforts should be made to help developing countries with the highest prevalence of N. fowleri to develop scientific research networks with the USA and/or Mexico in order to increase research with interdisciplinary teams.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdurrahman Ekici
- Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Van, Turkey.
| | - Sevil Alkan
- Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Canakkale, Turkey
| | - Selahattin Aydemir
- Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Van, Turkey
| | - Esra Gurbuz
- SBU Van Training and Research Hospital, Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Van, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Hakan Unlu
- Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Vocational School of Gevas, Division of Veterinary, Van, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Retana Moreira L, Steller Espinoza MF, Chacón Camacho N, Cornet-Gomez A, Sáenz-Arce G, Osuna A, Lomonte B, Abrahams Sandí E. Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Secreted by a Clinical Isolate of Naegleria fowleri and Identification of Immunogenic Components within Their Protein Cargo. Biology (Basel) 2022; 11:983. [PMID: 36101365 PMCID: PMC9312180 DOI: 10.3390/biology11070983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small lipid vesicles released by both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, involved in intercellular communication, immunomodulation and pathogenesis. In this study, we performed a characterization of the EVs produced by trophozoites of a clinical isolate of the free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri). Size distribution, zeta potential, protein profile and protease activity were analyzed. Under our incubation conditions, EVs of different sizes were observed, with a predominant population ranging from 206 to 227 nm. SDS-PAGE revealed protein bands of 25 to 260 KDa. The presence of antigenic proteins was confirmed by Western blot, which evidenced strongest recognition by rat polyclonal antibodies raised against N. fowleri in the region close to 80 KDa and included peptidases, as revealed by zymography. Proteins in selected immunorecognized bands were further identified using nano-ESI-MS/MS. A preliminary proteomic profile of the EVs identified at least 184 proteins as part of the vesicles' cargo. Protease activity assays, in combination with the use of inhibitors, revealed the predominance of serine proteases. The present characterization uncovers the complexity of EVs produced by N. fowleri, suggesting their potential relevance in the release of virulence factors involved in pathogenicity. Owing to their cargo's diversity, further research on EVs could reveal new therapeutic targets or biomarkers for developing rapid and accurate diagnostic tools for lethal infections such as the one caused by this amoeba.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lissette Retana Moreira
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica; (M.F.S.E.); (N.C.C.); (E.A.S.)
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica
| | - María Fernanda Steller Espinoza
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica; (M.F.S.E.); (N.C.C.); (E.A.S.)
| | - Natalia Chacón Camacho
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica; (M.F.S.E.); (N.C.C.); (E.A.S.)
| | - Alberto Cornet-Gomez
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Campus de Fuentenueva, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (A.C.-G.); (A.O.)
| | | | - Antonio Osuna
- Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular (CTS 183), Departamento de Parasitología, Campus de Fuentenueva, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (A.C.-G.); (A.O.)
| | - Bruno Lomonte
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica;
| | - Elizabeth Abrahams Sandí
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica; (M.F.S.E.); (N.C.C.); (E.A.S.)
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Milanes JE, Suryadi J, Monaghan NP, Harding EM, Morris CS, Rozema SD, Khalifa MM, Golden JE, Phan IQ, Zigweid R, Abendroth J, Rice CA, McCord HT, Wilson S, Fenwick MK, Morris JC. Characterization of Glucokinases from Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0237321. [PMID: 35604214 PMCID: PMC9211422 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02373-21] [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: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection with pathogenic free-living amoebae, including Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., and Balamuthia mandrillaris, can lead to life-threatening illnesses, primarily because of catastrophic central nervous system involvement. Efficacious treatment options for these infections are lacking, and the mortality rate due to infection is high. Previously, we evaluated the N. fowleri glucokinase (NfGlck) as a potential target for therapeutic intervention, as glucose metabolism is critical for in vitro viability. Here, we extended these studies to the glucokinases from two other pathogenic free-living amoebae, including Acanthamoeba castellanii (AcGlck) and B. mandrillaris (BmGlck). While these enzymes are similar (49.3% identical at the amino acid level), they have distinct kinetic properties that distinguish them from each other. For ATP, AcGlck and BmGlck have apparent Km values of 472.5 and 41.0 μM, while Homo sapiens Glck (HsGlck) has a value of 310 μM. Both parasite enzymes also have a higher apparent affinity for glucose than the human counterpart, with apparent Km values of 45.9 μM (AcGlck) and 124 μM (BmGlck) compared to ~8 mM for HsGlck. Additionally, AcGlck and BmGlck differ from each other and other Glcks in their sensitivity to small molecule inhibitors, suggesting that inhibitors with pan-amoebic activity could be challenging to generate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jillian E. Milanes
- Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Jimmy Suryadi
- Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Neil P. Monaghan
- Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Elijah M. Harding
- Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Corbin S. Morris
- Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Soren D. Rozema
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Muhammad M. Khalifa
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jennifer E. Golden
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Isabelle Q. Phan
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, Center for Global Infection Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Rachael Zigweid
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, Center for Global Infection Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jan Abendroth
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, Center for Global Infection Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
- UCB BioSciences, Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA
| | - Christopher A. Rice
- Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Drug Discovery, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Hayden T. McCord
- Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Drug Discovery, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Stevin Wilson
- Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Facility, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Michael K. Fenwick
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, Center for Global Infection Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - James C. Morris
- Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Oncel K, Karaagac L, Dagcı H, Aykur M. Real-Time PCR Confirmation of a Fatal Case of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis in Turkey Caused by Naegleria fowleri or Brain-Eating Amoeba. Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:697-704. [PMID: 35020127 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00514-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Naegleria fowleri, the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is a free-living amoeba. It is a water-borne infection usually detected in children and young people with healthy immune system who swim, dive and perform activities in fresh and hot springs. PURPOSE In this study, it was aimed to raise awareness in the differential diagnosis of meningitis etiopathogenesis by showing that N. fowleri may also be the causative agent, albeit very rarely, in meningitis cases in Turkey. METHODS Our case was an 18-year-old male patient whose relatives stated that he has gone to the hot spring; his headache complaint started after 2 to 3 days after return from the hot spring. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample taken from the patient was investigated by direct microscopic examination, real-time PCR method and sequence analysis. RESULTS The CSF sample collected was taken into distilled water considering the possibility of transformation of trophozoites to intermediate form and incubated at 37 °C for 1 to 2 h, and pear-shaped non-permanent flagellated forms were observed in the direct microscopic examination, and molecular typing was performed to confirm the diagnosis. This study was a comprehensive case of N. fowleri whose etiological agent was isolated and confirmed by real-time PCR in Turkey. CONCLUSION Clinician awareness would be the key factor in correctly diagnosing PAM. It is also recommended to investigate all likely environmental water sources in Turkey for more detailed information on the distribution and molecular identification of Naegleria species, ultimately to evaluate the potential pathogenic threat to human health and to develop strategies to combat such threats.
Collapse
|
46
|
Siddiqui R, Abouleish MY, Khamis M, Ibrahim T, Khan NA. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis: Potential Application of Ionic Liquids Against Brain-Eating Amoebae? Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:1032-1034. [PMID: 35294972 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-022-00532-6] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri, a well-known brain-eating amoeba, induces high mortality with no available effective treatment. Ionic liquids are compounds that contain a variety of cations and anions that can be tailored to specific applications. Based on the biological, chemical and physical properties of these ionic liquids, this work proposes the use of ionic liquids as novel anti-Naegleria fowleri biocides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
- College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Mustafa Khamis
- College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Taleb Ibrahim
- College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Naveed Ahmed Khan
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, University City, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Siddiqui R, Mungroo MR, Anuar TS, Alharbi AM, Alfahemi H, Elmoselhi AB, Khan NA. Antiamoebic Properties of Laboratory and Clinically Used Drugs against Naegleria fowleri and Balamuthia mandrillaris. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11. [PMID: 35740156 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11060749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri and Balamuthia mandrillaris are pathogenic free-living amoebae that infect the central nervous system with over 95% mortality rates. Although several compounds have shown promise in vitro but associated side effects and/or prolonged approval processes for clinical applications have led to limited success. To overcome this, drug repurposing of marketed compounds with known mechanism of action is considered a viable approach that has potential to expedite discovery and application of anti-amoebic compounds. In fact, many of the drugs currently employed in the treatment of N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris, such as amphotericin B, fluconazole, rifampin and miltefosine, are repurposed drugs. Here, we evaluated a range of clinical and laboratory compounds including metformin, quinclorac, indaziflam, inositol, nateglinide, 2,6-DNBT, trans-cinnamic acid, terbuthylazine, acarbose, glimepiride, vildagliptin, cellulase, thaxtomin A, repaglinide and dimethyl peptidase (IV) inhibitor against N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris. Anti-amoebic assays revealed that indaziflam, nateglinide, 2,6-DNBT, terbuthylazine, acarbose and glimepiride exhibited potent amoebicidal properties against both N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris. Notably, all compounds tested showed minimal human (HaCaT) cell cytotoxicity as determined by lactate dehydrogenase release. Prospective research using animal models is warranted to determine the potential of these repurposed compounds, as well as the need for investigating the intranasal route of delivery to treat these devastating infections.
Collapse
|
48
|
Arberas-Jiménez I, García-Davis S, Rizo-Liendo A, Sifaoui I, Morales EQ, Piñero JE, Lorenzo-Morales J, Díaz-Marrero AR, Fernández JJ. Cyclolauranes as plausible chemical scaffold against Naegleria fowleri. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 149:112816. [PMID: 35286966 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a central nervous system (CNS) disease caused by Naegleria fowleri that mainly affects children and young adults with fatal consequences in most of the cases. Treatment protocols are based on the combination of different antimicrobial agents, nonetheless there is the need to develop new anti-Naegleria compounds with low toxicity and full effects compared to the currently used drug combination. The marine environment is a well-established source of bioactive natural products. In this work, we have focused on the structure of Laurencia cyclolaurane-type sesquiterpenes as potential chemical model against Naegleria species. The effects of debromolaurinterol (1) to induce PCD/apoptosis-like events in Naegleria fowleri have been evaluated, revealing that this compound induced reduction of ATP production showing a decrease of 99.98% in treated parasite cells. A SAR analysis have been supported with molecular modeling and analysis of the in silico ADME/Tox properties of the Laurencia sesquiterpenes debromolaurinterol (1), laurinterol (2) and allolaurinterol (3), which reinforce cyclolaurane metabolites as plausible molecular models to develop PAM treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iñigo Arberas-Jiménez
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain; Red de Investigación Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Spain
| | - Sara García-Davis
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Aitor Rizo-Liendo
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain; Red de Investigación Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Spain
| | - Ines Sifaoui
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain; Red de Investigación Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Spain
| | - Ezequiel Q Morales
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - José E Piñero
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain; Red de Investigación Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Spain; Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red M.P. (CIBER) de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain; Red de Investigación Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Spain; Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red M.P. (CIBER) de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ana R Díaz-Marrero
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - José J Fernández
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Russell AC, Kyle DE. Differential Growth Rates and In Vitro Drug Susceptibility to Currently Used Drugs for Multiple Isolates of Naegleria fowleri. Microbiol Spectr 2022;:e0189921. [PMID: 35138140 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01899-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri, which typically dwells within warm, freshwater environments, can opportunistically cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a disease with a mortality rate of >97%. The lack of positive treatment outcomes for PAM has prompted the discovery and development of more effective therapeutics, yet most studies utilize only one or two clinical isolates. The inability to assess possible heterogenic responses to drugs among isolates from various geographical regions hinders progress in the discovery of more effective drugs. Here, we conducted drug efficacy and growth rate determinations for 11 different clinical isolates by applying a previously developed CellTiter-Glo 2.0 screening technique and flow cytometry. We found significant differences in the susceptibilities of these isolates to 7 of 8 drugs tested, all of which make up the cocktail that is recommended to physicians by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We also discovered significant variances in growth rates among isolates, which draws attention to the differences among the amoeba isolates collected from different patients. Our results demonstrate the need for additional clinical isolates of various genotypes in drug assays and highlight the necessity for more targeted therapeutics with universal efficacy across N. fowleri isolates. Our data establish a needed baseline for drug susceptibility among clinical isolates and provide a segue for future combination therapy studies as well as research related to phenotypic or genetic differences that could shed light on mechanisms of action or predispositions to specific drugs. IMPORTANCENaegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba, is ubiquitous in warm freshwater and is an opportunistic pathogen that causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Although few cases are described each year, the disease has a case fatality rate of >97%. In most laboratory studies of this organism, only one or two well-adapted lab strains are used; therefore, there is a lack of data to discern if there are major differences in potency of currently used drugs for multiple strains and genotypes of the amoeba. In this study, we found significant differences in the susceptibilities of 11 N. fowleri isolates to 7 of the 8 drugs currently used to treat the disease. The data from this study provide a baseline of drug susceptibility among clinical isolates and suggest that new drugs should be tested on a larger number of isolates in the future.
Collapse
|
50
|
Zhou W, Ouyang Y, Zhang D, Liao S, Liang H, Zhao L, Chen C. Case Report and Literature Review: Bacterial Meningoencephalitis or Not? Naegleria fowleri Related Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis in China. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:785735. [PMID: 35463884 PMCID: PMC9033202 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.785735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In China, a 9-year-old boy was transferred to the hospital with fever, vomiting, and headache. The disease rapidly deteriorated into vague consciousness. Applying conventional clinical examinations such as blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests, the diagnosis of bacterial meningoencephalitis was first drawn, and expectant treatments were adopted immediately. However, the symptoms did not alleviate, adversely, this boy died 3 days after admission. Considering the skeptical points of the duration, such as the unknown infectious bacteria and the pathogen invasion path, blood and CSF samples were then sent for metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to ascertain the cause of death. The 42,899 and 1,337 specific sequences of N. fowleri were detected by mNGS in the CSF sample and the blood sample, respectively. PCR results and pathological smear subsequently confirmed the mNGS detection. The patient was finally diagnosed as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Besides, in this article, 15 similar child infection cases in the past 10 years are summarized and analyzed to promote the early diagnosis of this rare disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Zhou
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yuzhen Ouyang
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sheng Liao
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hui Liang
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lingling Zhao
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chunyuan Chen
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| |
Collapse
|