INVESTIGADORES
CABRERIZO Franco Martin
artículos
Título:
In vitro evaluation of b-carbolines alkaloids as potential anti-Toxoplasma agents
Autor/es:
MARIA L. ALOMAR; FEDERICO A. O. RASSE-SURIANI; AGUSTINA GANUZA; VERÓNICA M. COCERES; FRANCO M. CABRERIZO*; SERGIO O. ANGEL*
Revista:
BMC Research Notes
Editorial:
BioMed Central
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013 vol. 6 p. 193 - 198
ISSN:
1756-0500
Resumen:
Abstract Background: Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide infection produced by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which causes chorioretinitis and neurological defects in congenitally infected newborns or immunodeficient patients. The efficacy of the current therapy is limited, primarily by serious host toxicity. During the last years, research has been focused on the development of new drugs against T. gondii. b-Carbolines (bCs), such as harmane, norharmane and harmine, are a group of naturally occurring alkaloids that show microbicidal activity. In this work, harmane, norharmane and harmine were tested against T. gondii. Findings: The treatment of extracellular tachyzoites with harmane, norharmane and harmine showed a 2.5 to 3.5 decrease in the invasion rates at doses of 40 uM (harmane and harmine) and 2.5 uM (norharmane) compared to untreated parasites. Furthermore, an effect on the replication rate could also be observed with a decrease of one (harmane) and two (norharmane and harmine) division rounds at doses of 5 to 12.5 uM. In addition, the treated parasites presented either a delay or no monolayer lysis in comparison to untreated parasites. Conclusions: The three bC alkaloids studied (norharmane, harmane and harmine) present anti-T. gondii effects as is evidenced by a partial inhibition of parasite invasion and replication. It is noteworthy that the dose-response effect was observed at a relative low drug concentration (< 40 uM), a concentration at which no cytotoxic effect is observed on the host cell line (Vero).