Cytochalasin D abolishes the schistosomicidal activity of praziquantel

Autor: Anna Rita Troiani, Donato Cioli, Livia Pica-Mattoccia, Alfredo Festucci, Piero Liberti, Cristiana Valle, Annalisa Basso, Fabio Vigorosi
Rok vydání: 2007
Předmět:
Zdroj: Experimental parasitology 115 (2007): 344–351. doi:10.1016/j.exppara.2006.09.017
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Pica-Mattoccia L., Valle C., Basso A., Troiani A.R., Vigorosi F., Liberti P., Festucci A. and Cioli D./titolo:Cytochalasin D abolishes the schistosomicidal activity of praziquantel./doi:10.1016%2Fj.exppara.2006.09.017/rivista:Experimental parasitology/anno:2007/pagina_da:344/pagina_a:351/intervallo_pagine:344–351/volume:115
ISSN: 0014-4894
Popis: To test the hypothesis that calcium channels of schistosomes are the targets for the action of praziquantel, we subjected schistosomes in vitro to pharmacological agents capable of interfering with the functioning of calcium channels. After 1-h exposure to these agents, praziquantel was added and incubation continued overnight. Worms were then washed, resuspended in drug-free medium and observed during the following 7–10 days. About 50% of schistosomes pre-exposed to the calcium channel blockers nicardipine and nifedipine were able to survive a praziquantel concentration (3 μM) that normally killed the majority of adult male worms. Since the organization of the actin cytoskeleton controls the activity of calcium channels in a number of different systems, we also pre-exposed schistosomes to the actin depolymerizing agent cytochalasin D. This treatment rendered the parasites completely refractory to the effects of very high praziquantel levels (up to 36 μM). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that schistosome calcium channels are involved in the mechanism of action of praziquantel.
Databáze: OpenAIRE