scholarly journals Studies with tryptophan metabolites in vitro. Kynurenine metabolism in liver homogenates of normal and Schistosoma mansoni-infested mice

1967 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 656-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
MS Amer ◽  
MH Abdel-Daim ◽  
GA Abdel-Tawab
1968 ◽  
Vol 109 (4) ◽  
pp. 613-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Samir Amer ◽  
M. H. Abdel-Daim ◽  
G. A. Abdel-Tawab

The conversion in vitro of kynurenine into kynurenic acid and anthranilic acid in both normal kidneys and those obtained from mice infested with Schistosoma mansoni was investigated. Normal mouse kidneys seem to possess an excess of functional pyridoxal phosphate over those obtained from infested mice. Kynureninase and kynurenine transaminase in the latter kidneys are more easily inhibited by deoxypyridoxal phosphate and tartar emetic, indicating low stores of active pyridoxal phosphate. The possible implication of these findings in relation to the role of the kidneys in producing abnormal patterns of tryptophan metabolism and possibly contributing to the production of bladder tumours in bilharzial patients is discussed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bemnet A. Tedla ◽  
Darren Pickering ◽  
Luke Becker ◽  
Alex Loukas ◽  
Mark S. Pearson

AbstractSchistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease which kills 300,000 people every year in developing countries and there is no vaccine. Recently, we have shown that cholinesterases (ChEs) - enzymes that regulate neurotransmission - from Schistosoma mansoni are expressed on the tegument and present in the excretory/secretory products of schistosomula and adult worms, and are essential for parasite survival in the definitive host, highlighting their utility as potential schistosomiasis vaccine targets. When treated in vitro with anti-SmChE IgG, both schistosomula and adult worms displayed significantly decreased ChE activity, which eventually resulted in parasite death. Vaccination with individual SmChEs, or a combination of all three SmChEs, significantly reduced worm burdens in two independent trials compared to controls. Liver egg burdens were significantly decreased for all vaccinated mice across both trials (13% - 46%) except for those vaccinated with SmAChE1 in trial 1. Egg viability, as determined by egg hatching from liver homogenates, was significantly reduced in the groups vaccinated with the SmChE cocktail (40%) and SmAChE2 (46%). Further, surviving worms from each vaccinated group were significantly stunted and depleted of glycogen stores, compared to controls. These results suggest that SmChEs could be incorporated into a vaccine against schistosomiasis to reduce the pathology and transmission of this debilitating disease.


Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bemnet A. Tedla ◽  
Darren Pickering ◽  
Luke Becker ◽  
Alex Loukas ◽  
Mark S. Pearson

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma, which kills 300,000 people every year in developing countries, and there is no vaccine. Recently, we have shown that cholinesterases (ChEs)—enzymes that regulate neurotransmission—from Schistosoma mansoni are expressed on the outer tegument surface and present in the excretory/secretory products of larval schistosomula and adult worms, and are essential for parasite survival in the definitive host, highlighting their utility as potential schistosomiasis vaccine targets. When treated in vitro with anti-schistosome cholinesterase (SmChE) IgG, both schistosomula and adult worms displayed significantly decreased ChE activity, which eventually resulted in parasite death. Vaccination with individual SmChEs, or a combination of all three SmChEs, significantly reduced worm burdens in two independent trials compared to controls. Average adult worm numbers and liver egg burdens were significantly decreased for all vaccinated mice across both trials, with values of 29–39% and 13–46%, respectively, except for those vaccinated with SmAChE1 in trial 1. Egg viability, as determined by egg hatching from liver homogenates, was significantly reduced in the groups vaccinated with the SmChE cocktail (40%) and SmAChE2 (46%). Furthermore, surviving worms from each vaccinated group were significantly stunted and depleted of glycogen stores, compared to controls. These results suggest that SmChEs could be incorporated into a vaccine against schistosomiasis to reduce the pathology and transmission of this debilitating disease.


Planta Medica ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
AIO Salloum ◽  
R Lucarini ◽  
MG Tozatti ◽  
J Medeiros ◽  
MLA Silva ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Daria Monaldi ◽  
Dante Rotili ◽  
Julien Lancelot ◽  
Martin Marek ◽  
Nathalie Wössner ◽  
...  

The only drug for treatment of Schistosomiasis is Praziquantel, and the possible emergence of resistance makes research on novel therapeutic agents necessary. Targeting of Schistosoma mansoni epigenetic enzymes, which regulate the parasitic life cycle, emerged as promising approach. Due to the strong effects of human Sirtuin inhibitors on parasite survival and reproduction, Schistosoma sirtuins were postulated as therapeutic targets. In vitro testing of synthetic substrates of S. mansoni Sirtuin 2 (SmSirt2) and kinetic experiments on a myristoylated peptide demonstrated lysine long chain deacylation as an intrinsic SmSirt2 activity for the first time. Focused in vitro screening of the GSK Kinetobox library and structure-activity relationships (SAR) of identified hits, led to the first SmSirt2 inhibitors with activity in the low micromolar range. Several SmSirt2 inhibitors showed potency against both larval schistosomes (viability) and adult worms (pairing, egg laying) in culture without general toxicity to human cancer cells.<br>


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 686
Author(s):  
Raquel Porto ◽  
Ana C. Mengarda ◽  
Rayssa A. Cajas ◽  
Maria C. Salvadori ◽  
Fernanda S. Teixeira ◽  
...  

The intravascular parasitic worm Schistosoma mansoni is a causative agent of schistosomiasis, a disease of great global public health significance. Praziquantel is the only drug available to treat schistosomiasis and there is an urgent demand for new anthelmintic agents. Adopting a phenotypic drug screening strategy, here, we evaluated the antiparasitic properties of 46 commercially available cardiovascular drugs against S. mansoni. From these screenings, we found that amiodarone, telmisartan, propafenone, methyldopa, and doxazosin affected the viability of schistosomes in vitro, with effective concentrations of 50% (EC50) and 90% (EC90) values ranging from 8 to 50 µM. These results were further supported by scanning electron microscopy analysis. Subsequently, the most effective drug (amiodarone) was further tested in a murine model of schistosomiasis for both early and chronic S. mansoni infections using a single oral dose of 400 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg daily for five consecutive days. Amiodarone had a low efficacy in chronic infection, with the worm and egg burden reduction ranging from 10 to 30%. In contrast, amiodarone caused a significant reduction in worm and egg burden in early infection (>50%). Comparatively, treatment with amiodarone is more effective in early infection than praziquantel, demonstrating the potential role of this cardiovascular drug as an antischistosomal agent.


Author(s):  
Annika S. Mokosch ◽  
Stefanie Gerbig ◽  
Christoph G. Grevelding ◽  
Simone Haeberlein ◽  
Bernhard Spengler

AbstractSchistosoma mansoni is a parasitic flatworm causing schistosomiasis, an infectious disease affecting several hundred million people worldwide. Schistosomes live dioeciously, and upon pairing with the male, the female starts massive egg production, which causes pathology. Praziquantel (PZQ) is the only drug used, but it has an inherent risk of resistance development. Therefore, alternatives are needed. In the context of drug repurposing, the cancer drug imatinib was tested, showing high efficacy against S. mansoni in vitro. Besides the gonads, imatinib mainly affected the integrity of the intestine in males and females. In this study, we investigated the potential uptake and distribution of imatinib in adult schistosomes including its distribution kinetics. To this end, we applied for the first time atmospheric-pressure scanning microprobe matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (AP-SMALDI MSI) for drug imaging in paired S. mansoni. Our results indicate that imatinib was present in the esophagus and intestine of the male as early as 20 min after in vitro exposure, suggesting an oral uptake route. After one hour, the drug was also found inside the paired female. The detection of the main metabolite, N-desmethyl imatinib, indicated metabolization of the drug. Additionally, a marker signal for the female ovary was successfully applied to facilitate further conclusions regarding organ tropism of imatinib. Our results demonstrate that AP-SMALDI MSI is a useful method to study the uptake, tissue distribution, and metabolization of imatinib in S. mansoni. The results suggest using AP-SMALDI MSI also for investigating other antiparasitic compounds and their metabolites in schistosomes and other parasites. Graphical abstract


Parasitology ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda H. Brink ◽  
Diane J. McLaren ◽  
S. R. Smithers

A comparison was made of the ultrastructure, development and antigenic nature of the surfaces and of the viability of three types of schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni: schistosomula formed afrer cercariae had penetrated isolated skin (SS), schistosomula produced after mechanical separation of cercarial tails from bodies (MS), and schistosomula transformed from cercariae after incubation in fresh rat serum (RS).Within 2 h of transformation, the surface membrane of all three types of schistosomula had changed from trilaminate to heptalaminate structures and SS and MS had lost their cercarial glycocalyx. Initially a dense amorphous material was demonstrated on the surfaces of RS, which was thought to be the result of an interaction between a factor in rat serum and the glycocalyx: this material was greatly reduced within 2 h of transformation. The pre-acetabular glands of SS were emptied while those of MS and RS retained their contents. Immunofluorescent studies showed that all schistosomula bound serum from mice immune to S. mansoni, but the binding was stronger with MS and RS. The mixed agglutination reaction demonstrated the presence of human A and B blood group-like antigenic determinants on approximately 30% of 3 h old SS; these determinants were not detected on MS or RS. In vitro, the development of MS and RS was similar to SS; the first schistosomula reached the ‘gut-closed’ stage by day 10; 50–70% of SS reached this stage by day 12, in contrast to only 25–50% of MS and RS. Between 28 and 45% of all schistosomula developed to maturity when injected intravenously into mice.It was concluded that the two types of artificially prepared schistosomula fultil the main criteria of transformation from cercaria to schistosomulum. Further, it is suggested that MS are the most appropriate source of material for immunochemical and physiological studies.


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