Echinococcus granulosus key enzymes as biochemical markers of in vitro pharmacological damage

ELISSONDO M.C., DENEGRI G., CUMINO A

Tandil, Buenos Aires

Congreso; XL Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Farmacología Experimental; 2008

SAFE

Enzymic markers could be used as endogenous indicators for identifying cellular changes and for providing quantitative data in pharmacological responses. The aim of this work was to find enzymes as biochemical markers of damage during in vitro drug treatment of E. granulosus protoscoleces. The levels of alkaline phosphatase (AP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), cholinesterase (ChE), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic-oxalic transaminase (GOT) and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined in medium supernatants of drug-treated parasite with benzimidazoles, avermectins and calcium modulators using kinetic spectrophotometric methods. It is the first study where the AP activity was determined in medium supernatant of E. granulosus cultures. AP and GOT showed considerable high levels in the control group. The rise of membrane-enzyme activities was related with later tegumental alterations. The enhancement of CHE and LDH levels were associated with the increase of mortality. We found at least a 10-fold increase of GGT and CHE activities in treated versus control groups. Therefore these enzymes would be applicable as possible markers in mass screenings for chemotherapic studies in E. granulosus