ABSTRACT
Chagas disease is a neglected illness caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and its treatment is done only with two drugs, nifurtimox and benznidazole. However, both drugs are ineffective in the chronic phase, in addition to causing serious side effects. This context of therapeutic limitation justifies the continuous research for alternative drugs. Here, we study the in vitro trypanocidal effects of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug nimesulide, a molecule that has in its chemical structure a toxicophoric nitroaromatic group (NO2). The set of results obtained in this work highlights the potential for repurposing nimesulide in the treatment of this disease that affects millions of people around the world.
Subject(s)
Chagas Disease/drug therapy , Chagas Disease/parasitology , Drug Repositioning , Sulfonamides/therapeutic use , Trypanosoma cruzi/physiology , Animals , Cell Death/drug effects , Cell Survival/drug effects , Life Cycle Stages/drug effects , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Parasites/drug effects , Sulfonamides/chemistry , Sulfonamides/pharmacology , Trypanosoma cruzi/drug effects , Trypanosoma cruzi/growth & development , Trypanosoma cruzi/ultrastructureABSTRACT
The pathology associated with COVID-19 infection is progressively being revealed. Recent postmortem assessments have revealed acute airway inflammation as well as diffuse alveolar damage, which bears resemblance to severe acute respiratory syndromes induced by both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infections. Although recent papers have highlighted some neuropathologies associated with COVID-19 infection, little is known about this topic of great importance in the area of public health. Here, we discuss how neuroinflammation related to COVID-19 could be triggered by direct viral neuroinvasion and/or cytokine release over the course of the infection.