scholarly journals In Vitro Activity of Pentamidine Isethionate against Trophozoite and Cyst of Acanthamoeba

Author(s):  
Massoud Behnia ◽  
Alireza Latifi ◽  
Mostafa Rezaian ◽  
Sharmin Kharazi ◽  
Mehdi Mohebali ◽  
...  

Background: Acanthamoebae are a causative agent of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) in immunocompetent individuals. Since access to propamidine isethionate (Brolene®) as a first-line treatment has been limited in recent years, in the current study, we examined the effects of pentamidine isethionate against trophozoite and cyst forms of Acanthamoeba. Methods: This experimental study was conducted in the Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, during 2019-2020. Pentamidine isethionate at concentrations of 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 µM were tested against trophozoites and cyst stages of T4 genotype, at 24- and 48-hour incubation period, and the viability was determined by trypan blue staining. In addition, the cytotoxic effect of the drug was examined in Vero cells using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results: The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of pentamidine isethionate on trophozoite after 24 and 48h were 97.4 µM and 60.99 µM. These results on cyst after 24 and 48h were 470 µM and 175.5 µM, respectively. In MTT assay, the drug showed an inhibitory effect on Vero cell growth with IC50 values of 115.4 µM and 87.42 µM after 24h and 48h, respectively. Conclusion: Pentamidine isethionate exhibited an inhibitory effect on trophozoite and cyst. Given that the trophozoicidal activity of the drug is in the safe dose, it could be suggested as an alternative in patients with AK; however, further investigation is needed in an animal model to confirm the data.

Author(s):  
Jhons Fatriyadi Suwandi ◽  
Mahardika Agus Wijayanti ◽  
Mustofa .

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the antiplasmodial and cytotoxic activities and to evaluate the selectivity indices of acetone, ethanol and aqueous extracts of Peronema canescens leaves.Methods: Antiplasmodial activity was measured in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum strains D10 and FCR3 by 72 h incubation at 37 °C in a candle jar. Parasitaemia was calculated by counting the parasite numbers in thin smears. In vitro cytotoxicity was assayed in Vero cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and reading the absorbency at 595 nm with an ELISA reader. The assessed parameters included: 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of antiplasmodial activity, IC50 of cytotoxic activity and the selectivity index of the Peronema canescens leaf extract.Results: The IC50 values for the acetone, ethanol and aqueous extracts were 26.33±1.65, 37.96±8.17 and 12.26±1.05 μg/ml, respectively, against the Plasmodium falciparum D10 strain and 51.14±8.65, 70.22±14.13 and 34.85±6.04 μg/ml, respectively, against the FCR3 strain. For Vero cells, the IC50 values for the acetone, ethanol and aqueous extracts were 23.37±5.63, 629.46±24.85 and 634.00±144.82 μg/ml, respectively. The selectivity indices of these extracts were 0.89, 16.46 and 51.70, respectively, for the D10 strain and 0.46, 8.90 and 18.00, respectively, for the FCR3 strain.Conclusion: The aqueous extract of Peronema canescens leaves had the highest in vitro antiplasmodial activity and the best selectivity index.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 550-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lima Asgharpour Sarouey ◽  
Parvaneh Rahimi-Moghaddam ◽  
Fatemeh Tabatabaie ◽  
Khadijeh Khanaliha

: As an important global disease, cutaneous leishmaniasis is associated with complications such as secondary infections and atrophic scars. The first line treatment with antimonials is expensive and reported to have serious side effects and enhance resistance development. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Cinnarizine on standard strains of Leishmania major because of paucity of information on this subject. Methods: In this experimental study, four concentrations of the drug (5, 10, 15 and 20 μg/ml) were added to Leishmania major cultures at 24, 48 and 72 hours intervals. MTT assays were performed to determine parasite viability and drug toxicity. Leishmania major promastigotes were augmented to the in vitro cultured macrophages (J774 cells) and then incubated for 72 hours. Half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was ascertained by counting parasites. The inhibitory effect of the drug was compared with that of Glucantime. Flow-cytometry was performed to investigate apoptosis. Each test was repeated thrice. Results: The IC50 values of Cinnarizine after 72 hours were calculated to be 34.76 μg/ml and 23.73 μg/ml for promastigotes and amastigotes, respectively. The results of MTT assays showed 48 % promastigote viability after 72 hour-exposure to Cinnarizine at 20 μg/ml concentration. Programmed cell death in promastigote- and amastigote-infected macrophages was quantified to be 13.66 % and 98.7 %, respectively. Flow- cytometry analysis indicated that Cinnarizine induced early and late apoptosis in parasites. All treatments produced results which differed significantly from control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Cinnarizine showed low toxicity with anti-leishmanial and apoptosis effects on both promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms. Therefore, we may suggest further assessment on animal models of this drug as candidates for cutaneous leishmaniasis therapy.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (15) ◽  
pp. 2747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliane Briand ◽  
Ragnar Thomsen ◽  
Kristian Linnet ◽  
Henrik Berg Rasmussen ◽  
Søren Brunak ◽  
...  

The human carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), responsible for the biotransformation of many diverse therapeutic agents, may contribute to the occurrence of adverse drug reactions and therapeutic failure through drug interactions. The present study is designed to address the issue of potential drug interactions resulting from the inhibition of CES1. Based on an ensemble of 10 crystal structures complexed with different ligands and a set of 294 known CES1 ligands, we used docking (Autodock Vina) and machine learning methodologies (LDA, QDA and multilayer perceptron), considering the different energy terms from the scoring function to assess the best combination to enable the identification of CES1 inhibitors. The protocol was then applied on a library of 1114 FDA-approved drugs and eight drugs were selected for in vitro CES1 inhibition. An inhibition effect was observed for diltiazem (IC50 = 13.9 µM). Three others drugs (benztropine, iloprost and treprostinil), exhibited a weak CES1 inhibitory effects with IC50 values of 298.2 µM, 366.8 µM and 391.6 µM respectively. In conclusion, the binding site of CES1 is relatively flexible and can adapt its conformation to different types of ligands. Combining ensemble docking and machine learning approaches improves the prediction of CES1 inhibitors compared to a docking study using only one crystal structure.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sospeter N. Njeru ◽  
Jackson M. Muema

Abstract Objectives We and others have shown that Aspilia pluriseta is associated with various biological activities. However, there is a lack of information on its cytotoxicity. This has created an information gap about the safety of A. pluriseta extracts. As an extension to our recent publication on the antimicrobial activity and the phytochemical characterization of A. pluriseta root extracts, here we report on cytotoxicity of tested solvent fractions. We evaluated the potential cytotoxicity of these root extract fractions on Vero cell lines by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results We show that all solvent extract fractions (except methanolic solvent fractions) had cytotoxic concentration values that killed 50% of the Vero cells (CC50) greater than 20 µg/mL and selectivity index (SI) greater than 1.0. Taken together, we demonstrate that, A. pluriseta extract fractions’ earlier reported bioactivities are within the acceptable cytotoxicity and selective index limits. This finding scientifically validates the potential use of A. pluriseta in the discovery of safe therapeutics agents.


Pharmacology ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 224-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Jen Chang ◽  
Tso-Hsiao Chen ◽  
Paul Chan ◽  
Yi-Jen Chen ◽  
Feng-Lin Hsu ◽  
...  

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Bittner Fialová ◽  
Martin Kello ◽  
Matúš Čoma ◽  
Lívia Slobodníková ◽  
Eva Drobná ◽  
...  

On its own, rosmarinic acid possesses multiple biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cardioprotective and antitumor properties, and these are the consequence of its ROS scavenging and inhibitory effect on inflammation. In this study, two quaternary phosphonium salts of rosmarinic acid were prepared for the purpose of increasing its penetration into biological systems with the aim of improving its antimicrobial, antifungal, antiprotozoal and antitumor activity. The synthetized molecules, the triphenylphosphonium and tricyclohexylphosphonium salts of rosmarinic acid, exhibited significantly stronger inhibitory effects on the growth of HCT116 cells with IC50 values of 7.28 or 8.13 μM in comparison to the initial substance, rosmarinic acid (>300 μM). For the synthesized derivatives, we detected a greater than three-fold increase of activity against Acanthamoeba quina, and a greater than eight-fold increase of activity against A. lugdunensis in comparison to rosmarinic acid. Furthermore, we recorded significantly higher antimicrobial activity of the synthetized derivatives when compared to rosmarinic acid itself. Both synthetized quaternary phosphonium salts of rosmarinic acid appear to be promising antitumor and antimicrobial agents, as well as impressive molecules for further research.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayeong Hwang ◽  
Kumju Youn ◽  
Yeongseon Ji ◽  
Seonah Lee ◽  
Gyutae Lim ◽  
...  

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) mediate the degradation of acetylcholine (ACh), a primary neurotransmitter in the brain. Cholinergic deficiency occurs during the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), resulting in widespread cognitive dysfunction and decline. We evaluated the potential effect of a natural cholinesterase inhibitor, zerumbone, using in vitro target enzyme assays, as well as in silico docking and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) simulation. Zerumbone showed a predominant cholinesterase inhibitory property with IC50 values of 2.74 ± 0.48 µM and 4.12 ± 0.42 µM for AChE and BChE, respectively; however, the modes of inhibition were different. Computational docking simulation indicated that Van der Waals interactions between zerumbone and both the cholinesterases were the main forces responsible for its inhibitory effects. Furthermore, zerumbone showed the best physicochemical properties for both bioavailability and blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Together, in the present study, zerumbone was clearly identified as a unique dual AChE and BChE inhibitor with high permeability across the BBB, suggesting a strong potential for its physiological benefits and/or pharmacological efficacy in the prevention of AD.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 2072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Youssefi ◽  
Elham Moghaddas ◽  
Mohaddeseh Abouhosseini Tabari ◽  
Ali Akbar Moghadamnia ◽  
Seyed Mohammad Hosseini ◽  
...  

Background: One of the most important causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is Leishmania infantum, which is mainly spread by Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia sandflies in the Old and New World, respectively. Novel and effective drugs to manage this neglected vector-borne disease are urgently required. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of carvacrol, thymol and linalool, three common essential oil constituents, on amastigotes and promastigotes of L. infantum. Methods: in vitro experiments were performed by 24 h MTT assay. Carvacrol, thymol and linalool at concentrations ranging from 1.3 to 10 μg/mL were tested on promastigotes of L. infantum. For in vivo test, two groups of hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) received 100 mg/kg of body weight/day of carvacrol and thymol as intraperitoneal injection on day 7 post-infection, followed by a 48 h later injection. The third group was treated with the glucantime as standard drug (500 mg/kg) and the last group (control) just received normal saline. On the 16th day, the number of parasites and histopathological changes in liver and spleen were investigated. Results: 24 h MTT assay showed promising antileishmanial activity of thymol and carvacrol, with IC50 values of 7.2 (48 μM) and 9.8 μg/mL (65 μM), respectively. Linalool at all concentrations did not affect L. infantum promastigote viability. In vivo toxicity data of carvacrol and thymol showed that the former at 100 mg/kg was the safest and most effective treatment with little side effects on the liver. Conclusions: Overall, thymol and carvacrol are highly promising candidates for the development of effective and safe drugs in the fight against VL.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Dan Xu ◽  
Robin Hoeven ◽  
Rong Rong ◽  
William Chi-Shing Cho

Rhynchophylline (Rhy) is an active component isolated from species of the genusUncariawhich has been used for the treatment of ailments to the central nervous system in traditional Chinese medicine. Besides acting as a calcium channel blocker, Rhy was also reported to be able to protect against glutamate-induced neuronal death. We thus hypothesize that Rhy may have neuroprotective activity against methamphetamine (MA). The primary neurons were cultured directly from the cerebral cortex of neonatal rats, acting asin vitromodel in the present study. The neurotoxicity of MA and the protective effect of Rhy were evaluated by MTT assay. The effects of MA, Rhy or their combination on intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) were determined in individual neocortical neurons by the Fluo-3/AM tracing method. The MTT assay demonstrated that MA has a dose-dependent neurotoxicity in neuronal cultures. The addition of Rhy prior to the exposure to MA prevented neuronal death. Time course studies with the Fluo-3/AM probe showed that Rhy significantly decreased neuronal [Ca2+]iwhich was elevated by the exposure to MA. Our results suggested that Rhy can protect the neuronal cultures against MA exposure and promptly attenuate intracellular calcium overload triggered by MA challenge. This is the first report demonstrating an inhibitory effect of Rhy against MA impairment in cultured neuronsin vitro.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (22) ◽  
pp. 7060
Author(s):  
Silvija Maračić ◽  
Petra Grbčić ◽  
Suresh Shammugam ◽  
Marijana Radić Stojković ◽  
Krešimir Pavelić ◽  
...  

The novel 1,2,3-triazolyl-appended N- and O-heterocycles containing amidine 4–11 and amidoxime 12–22 moiety were prepared and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities in vitro. Among the series of amidine-substituted heterocycles, aromatic diamidine 5 and coumarine amidine 11 had the most potent growth-inhibitory effect on cervical carcinoma (HeLa), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (SW620), with IC50 values in the nM range. Although compound 5 was toxic to non-tumor HFF cells, compound 11 showed certain selectivity. From the amidoxime series, quinoline amidoximes 18 and 20 showed antiproliferative effects on lung adenocarcinoma (A549), HeLa and SW620 cells emphasizing compound 20 that exhibited no cytostatic effect on normal HFF fibroblasts. Results of CD titrations and thermal melting experiments indicated that compounds 5 and 10 most likely bind inside the minor groove of AT-DNA and intercalate into AU-RNA. Compounds 6, 9 and 11 bind to AT-DNA with mixed binding mode, most probably minor groove binding accompanied with aggregate binding along the DNA backbone.


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