In vitro evaluation of the anti-leishmanial activity and toxicity of PK11195

BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis, one of the most neglected diseases, is a serious public health problem in many countries, including Brazil. Currently available treatments require long-term use and have serious side effects, necessitating the development of new therapeutic interventions. Because translocator protein (TSPO) levels are reduced in Leishmania amazonensis-infected cells and because this protein participates in apoptosis and immunomodulation, TSPO represents a potential target for Leishmania chemotherapy. The present study evaluated PK11195, a ligand of this protein, as an anti-leishmanial agent. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the leishmanicidal activity of PK11195 against L. amazonensis in infected CBA mouse macrophages in vitro. METHODS The viability of axenic L. amazonensis, Leishmania major, and Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes was assessed after 48 h treatment with PK11195 (0.2-400 µM). Additionally, intracellular parasite viability was evaluated to determine IC50 values and the number of viable parasites in infected macrophages treated with PK11195 (50-100 µM). Infected macrophages were then treated with PK11195 (25-100 µM) to determine the percentage of L. amazonensis-infected cells and the number of parasites per infected cell. Electron microscopy was used to investigate morphological changes caused by PK11195. The production of free oxygen radicals, nitric oxide, and pro-inflammatory cytokines was also evaluated in infected macrophages treated with PK11195 and primed or not primed with IFN-γ. FINDINGS Median IC50 values for PK11195 were 14.2 µM for L. amazonensis, 8.2 µM for L. major, and 3.5 µM for L. braziliensis. The selective index value for L. amazonensis was 13.7, indicating the safety of PK11195 for future testing in mammals. Time- and dose-dependent reductions in the percentage of infected macrophages, the number of parasites per infected macrophage, and the number of viable intracellular parasites were observed. Electron microscopy revealed some morphological alterations suggestive of autophagy. Interestingly, MCP-1 and superoxide levels were reduced in L. amazonensis-infected macrophages treated with PK11195. MAIN CONCLUSIONS PK11195 causes the killing of amastigotes in vitro by mechanisms independent of inflammatory mediators and causes morphological alterations within Leishmania parasites, suggestive of autophagy, at doses that are non-toxic to macrophages. Thus, this molecule has demonstrated potential as an anti-leishmanial agent.

Avaliação do 17-AAG como agente leishmanicida e seu mecanismo de ação na indução da morte de parasitos do gênero leishmania spp / 17-AAG assessment as leishmanicidal agent and its mechanism of action for induction of parasites of the Leishmania genus death spp

A leishmaniose é uma doença endêmica no Brasil causada por parasitos protozoários do gênero Leishmania. A quimioterapia continua sendo a forma mais efetiva de tratamento com os antimoniais pentavalentes sendo usados há mais de 70 anos como a primeira linha de tratamento. O uso deste e de outros fármacos apresenta efeitos adversos graves, os esquemas terapêuticos empregados são desconfortáveis, além de relatos do aumento de casos de resistência. A proteína de choque térmico 90 (HSP90) é um membro da família das chaperonas presente em células eucarióticas e bactérias. Essa proteína é fundamental para o dobramento e estabilização de diferentes proteínas, chamadas genericamente de proteínas cliente. Essa chaperona vem sendo considerada um importante alvo molecular para o tratamento de diferentes doenças parasitárias. Nessa tese, o inibidor específico da atividade ATPásica da HSP90, o 17-allilamino-17-demethoxigeldanamicina (17- AAG) foi testado em parasitos do gênero Leishmania. Inicialmente, avaliamos o efeito em cultura axênica e observamos que o 17-AAG causa a morte desses parasitos em concentrações inferiores às necessárias para causar a morte de macrófagos. Observamos também que o tratamento com 17-AAG promove a morte intracelular dos parasitos em concentrações que variam de 25 a 500 nM nos tempos de 24 e 48 h...

Leishmaniases are endemic disease in Brazil caused by protozoan parasites from the genus Leishmania. Chemotherapy remains the most effective way of treatment and pentavalent antimonials, used for more than 70 years, remaining as first choice drugs for leishmaniasis treatment. The use of this and other drugs causes severe side effects, therapeutic regimens employed for leishmaniasis treatment are unpleasant, besides an increase number of resistance cases. The Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) is a member of the chaperone family present in bacteria and eukaryotic cells. This protein is essential for the folding and stabilization of different proteins, known as client proteins. This chaperone has been considered an important molecular target for the treatment of different parasitic diseases. In this thesis, the specific inhibitors of the ATPase activity from the HSP90, 17-allylamino- 17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), were tested against parasites from the genus Leishmania. First we evaluated its effect on axenic culture and observed that 17- AAG induces parasite cell death in lowerconcentrations than those needed to induce macrophage cell death. We also observed that 17-AAG intracellular parasite death in concentrations ranging from 25 to 500 nM after 24 or 48 h...

Control of Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium intracellulare infections with respect to distinct granuloma formations in livers of BALB/c mice

Mycobacterium fortuitum is a rapidly growing nontuberculous Mycobacterium that can cause a range of diseases in humans. Complications from M. fortuitum infection have been associated with numerous surgical procedures. A protective immune response against pathogenic mycobacterial infections is dependent on the granuloma formation. Within the granuloma, the macrophage effector response can inhibit bacterial replication and mediate the intracellular killing of bacteria. The granulomatous responses of BALB/c mice to rapidly and slowly growing mycobacteria were assessed in vivo and the bacterial loads in spleens and livers from M. fortuitum and Mycobacterium intracellulare-infected mice, as well as the number and size of granulomas in liver sections, were quantified. Bacterial loads were found to be approximately two times lower in M. fortuitum-infected mice than in M. intracellulare-infected mice and M. fortuitum-infected mice presented fewer granulomas compared to M. intracellulare-infected mice. These granulomas were characterized by the presence of Mac-1+ and CD4+ cells. Additionally, IFN-γmRNA expression was higher in the livers of M. fortuitum-infected mice than in those of M. intracellulare-infected mice. These data clearly show that mice are more capable of controlling an infection with M. fortuitum than M. intracellulare. This capacity is likely related to distinct granuloma formations in mice infected with M. fortuitum but not with M. intracellulare.