Studies of genotoxicity and mutagenicity of nitroimidazoles: demystifying this critical relationship with the nitro group

Nitroimidazoles exhibit high microbicidal activity, but mutagenic, genotoxic and cytotoxic properties have been attributed to the presence of the nitro group. However, we synthesised nitroimidazoles with activity against the trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, but that were not genotoxic. Herein, nitroimidazoles (11-19) bearing different substituent groups were investigated for their potential induction of genotoxicity (comet assay) and mutagenicity (Salmonella/Microsome assay) and the correlations of these effects with their trypanocidal effect and with megazol were investigated. The compounds were designed to analyse the role played by the position of the nitro group in the imidazole nucleus (C-4 or C-5) and the presence of oxidisable groups at N-1 as an anion receptor group and the role of a methyl group at C-2. Nitroimidazoles bearing NO2 at C-4 and CH3 at C-2 were not genotoxic compared to those bearing NO 2 at C-5. However, when there was a CH3 at C-2, the position of the NO2 group had no influence on the genotoxic activity. Fluorinated compounds exhibited higher genotoxicity regardless of the presence of CH3 at C-2 or NO2 at C-4 or C-5. However, in compounds 11 (2-CH3; 4-NO2; N-CH2OHCH2Cl) and 12 (2-CH3; 4-NO2; N-CH2OHCH2F), the fluorine atom had no influence on genotoxicity. This study contributes to the future search for new and safer prototypes and provide.

Benznidazole-induced genotoxicity in diploid cells of Aspergillus nidulans

Genotoxic effects of benznidazole were studied by the induction of homozygosis of genes previously present in heterozygous. UT448//A757 diploid strain was used in the benznidazole's recombinagenesis test. Although toxic effects on growth of colonies were not observed, 75 and 100 æM benznidazole induced an increasing of mitotic recombination events in diploid strain. Results were related to the induction of chromosomal breaks by the antiparasitic drug.

Benznidazole vs benznidazole in multilamellar liposomes: how different they interact with blood components?

In spite of its widespread use, benznidazole's (BNZ) toxicity and low efficacy remains as major drawbacks that impair successful treatments against Chagas disease. Previously, attempting to increase the selectivity and reduce its toxicity on infected tissues, multilamellar liposomes (MLV) composed of hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine (HSPC): distearoyl-phosphatidylglycerol (DSPG): cholesterol (CHOL) 2:1:2 mol:mol loaded with BNZ (MLV-BNZ) were designed. In this work we compared different properties of MLV-BNZ with those of BNZ. Opposite to other hydrophobic drugs, the results indicated that slight changes of BNZÎs association degree to proteins and lipoproteins should not modify the percentage of unbound drug available to exert pharmacological action. On the other hand, when loaded in MLV, BNZ reduced its association to plasma proteins in 45 percent and became refractory to the sinking effect of blood, dropping 4.5 folds. Additionally, when loaded in MLV, BNZ had higher volume distribution (160 ± 20 vs 102 ± 15 ml/kg) and total clearance (35.23 ± 2.3 vs 21.9 ± 1.4 ml/h.kg), and lower concentration-time curve (7.23 ± 0.2 vs 9.16 ± 0.5 æg.h/ml) than BNZ. Hence, these studies showed that for MLV-BNZ, the amount of BNZ can be substantially increased, from 25 to 70 percent, being this formulation more rapidly cleared from circulation than free drug; also due to the lower interaction with blood components, lower side effects can be expected.

Avaliação do efeito genotóxico do megazol / Evaluation of the genotoxic potential of MGZ

As tripanossomíases americana (doença de Chagas) e africana (doença do sono) são causadas por protozoários do gênero Trypanosoma, têm como vetores insetos hematófagos e exibem alta morbidade. As duas tripanossomíases estão entre as doenças humanas mais negligenciadas porque, em que pese a relevância de ambas em termos de saúde pública, não foi feito esforço importante para desenvolver medicamentos eficazes e seguros, principalmente para os estágios mais tardios quando os protozoários atingem e comprometem órgãos vitais como o coração e o SNC. O megazol (MGZ) é um derivado nitroimidazólico com potente atividade contra os tripanossomas. O MGZ poderia ser considerado uma alternativa promissora aos fármacos atualmente empregados, não fossem os indícios de efeito genotóxico, problema freqüente entre os derivados nitroimidazólicos. Situado neste contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi reavaliar o potencial genotóxico do MGZ, e iniciar uma série de estudos para verificar se é possível bloqueá-lo com substâncias antimutagênicas, sem comprometer a eficácia tripanossomicida. A avaliação da genotoxicidade do MGZ foi realizada com ensaios in vitro, i.e., indução de aberrações cromossômicas em linfócitos humanos em cultura, e também in vivo, i.e., indução de micronúcleos em células da medula óssea de camundongos. (...) Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho confirmaram que o MGZ é genotóxico. Os resultados do ensaio in vivo sugerem porém que a biodisponibilidade do fármaco administrado por via oral é reduzida. A investigação in vitro do antagonismo da genotoxicidade do MGZ pela vitamina E foi até certo ponto prejudicada pela acentuada citotoxicidade das concentrações de vitamina E (VTE) empregadas (2,5∙10-6M e 5,0∙10-6M). Apesar da pronunciada redução do índice mitótico dos linfócitos humanos em cultura, os resultados sugeriram que o efeito clastogênico induzido pelo MGZ 2,81∙10-4M foi discretamente atenuado. Os efeitos da VTE, e de outras substância...