Activity In Vitro of 2-Chloro-N-[4-(4-Chlorophenyl)-2-Thiazolyl]Acetamide Against Promastigotes of Leishmania mexicana: An Apoptosis Inducer.

PURPOSE: Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease transmitted by insects that proliferate mainly in impoverished environments of tropical climates. In the absence of an effective vaccine, pharmacological treatment is the main tool to combat this disease. The objective of this work was to analyze the anti-leishmanial activity of 2-chloro-N-[4-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-thiazolyl] acetamide (AT) in promastigotes of Leishmania mexicana. METHODS: The biological activity of the compound was evaluated using a sulphorhodamine B cytotoxicity test and the integrity of the erythrocytes was evaluated by a lysis test. The anti-trypanosomatid activity was evaluated in vitro, a cell death assay was performed by flow cytometry (IP/Annexin V stain) and a parasite growth recovery assay was performed. RESULTS: The AT showed a CC50 value of 0.031 µM for HeLa cells after 24 h of exposure, which did not induce erythrocyte lysis. On the other hand, the AT showed an IC50 value of 0.086 µM for L. mexicana (promastigote form) after 24 h of interaction. The compound was capable of inducing apoptosis in the parasites and did not allow recovery after 24 h of exposure. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable information with the objective of developing new drugs for the treatment of this disease, although more research on this molecule is needed to improve its biological activity.

Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Pregnant Women Suggests a High Risk for Congenital Transmission in Central Veracruz, Mexico.

PURPOSE: The state of Veracruz, Mexico, is a well-recognized endemic region for Chagas disease, but congenital transmission has not been extensively studied. We estimated here the prevalence and the risk of congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in pregnant women from 27 municipalities of central Veracruz. METHODS: 528 sera from pregnant women were analyzed by ELISA and IFA assays for the detection of IgG antibodies against T. cruzi. RESULTS: The presence of anti-T. cruzi antibodies was identified in women from 17 municipalities, obtaining an overall seroprevalence of 17.0%. A higher seropositivity was observed in the municipalities of Orizaba (25.2%), Nogales (13.6%), and Río Blanco (10.5%). The results suggest that there is a high risk of congenital transmission of T. cruzi in the region. CONCLUSION: There are currently limited actions for the surveillance and control of congenital transmission of Chagas disease in Veracruz.