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Sent on Tuesday, 2011 December 20Search: kinetoplastids OR kinetoplastid OR Kinetoplastida OR "trypanosoma brucei" OR leishmania OR brucei OR leishmaniasis OR "African trypanosomiasis"
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| PubMed Results |
| 1. | PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011 Dec;5(12):e1436. Epub 2011 Dec 13.Dynamics of parasite clearance in cutaneous leishmaniasis patients treated with miltefosine.Dorlo TP, van Thiel PP, Schoone GJ, Stienstra Y, van Vugt M, Beijnen JH, de Vries PJ.SourceDivision of Infectious Diseases, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. AbstractParasite loads were quantified in repeated skin biopsies from lesions of 2 patients with Old-World cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major and L. infantum during and after treatment with miltefosine. Miltefosine induced a rapid therapeutic effect on both infections with an initial decline of parasites of ∼1 log/week for the L. major infection. These observations illustrate the usability of quantifying parasite loads in skin lesions as a pharmacodynamic measure and quantitative descriptor of drug effect for CL supporting clinical assessment. |
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| 2. | PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011 Dec;5(12):e1415. Epub 2011 Dec 13.Epidemiologic aspects of an emerging focus of visceral leishmaniasis in tbilisi, georgia.Giorgobiani E, Chitadze N, Chanturya G, Grdzelidze M, Jochim RC, Machablishvili A, Tushishvili T, Zedginidze Y, Manjgaladze MK, Iashvili N, Makharadze MP, Zakaraya T, Kikaleishvili K, Markhvashvili I, Badashvili G, Daraselia T, Fay MP, Kamhawi S, Sacks D.SourceNational Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia. AbstractBACKGROUND:Over the last 15 years, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has emerged as a public health concern in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Seroepidemiological surveys were conducted to determine the prevalence and incidence of infection in children and dogs within the main focus of VL, and to identify risk factors associated with human infection. Of 4,250 children investigated, 7.3% were positive by direct agglutination test in a baseline survey; an apparent incidence rate of 6.0% was estimated by one year follow-up. None of the seropositive children progressed to VL during the survey. Increased seropositivity at one year was predicted by presence at baseline of clustered flying insects (OR = 1.49; P = 0.001), perceived satisfactory sanitation (OR = 1.65; P<0.001), stray dogs (OR = 1.33; P = 0.023), and by persistent fever during the 6 months prior to baseline survey (OR = 14.2; P<0.001). Overall, 18.2% (107/588) of domestic and 15.3% (110/718) of stray dogs were seropositive by the rk39 dipstick test. Clinical VL signs were found in 1.3% of domestic and 2.9% of stray, seropositive dogs. Parasites isolated from human and dog samples were identified by PCR and phylogenetic analysis of the Leishmania 70 kDa heat-shock protein (HSP70) gene as Leishmania infantum. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:There is an active focus of L. infantum transmission in Tbilisi with a high prevalence of human and canine infections. |
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| 3. | PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011 Dec;5(12):e1404. Epub 2011 Dec 13.Toward an open-access global database for mapping, control, and surveillance of neglected tropical diseases.Hürlimann E, Schur N, Boutsika K, Stensgaard AS, Laserna de Himpsl M, Ziegelbauer K, Laizer N, Camenzind L, Di Pasquale A, Ekpo UF, Simoonga C, Mushinge G, Saarnak CF, Utzinger J, Kristensen TK, Vounatsou P.SourceDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. AbstractBACKGROUND:After many years of general neglect, interest has grown and efforts came under way for the mapping, control, surveillance, and eventual elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Disease risk estimates are a key feature to target control interventions, and serve as a benchmark for monitoring and evaluation. What is currently missing is a georeferenced global database for NTDs providing open-access to the available survey data that is constantly updated and can be utilized by researchers and disease control managers to support other relevant stakeholders. We describe the steps taken toward the development of such a database that can be employed for spatial disease risk modeling and control of NTDs. METHODOLOGY:With an emphasis on schistosomiasis in Africa, we systematically searched the literature (peer-reviewed journals and 'grey literature'), contacted Ministries of Health and research institutions in schistosomiasis-endemic countries for location-specific prevalence data and survey details (e.g., study population, year of survey and diagnostic techniques). The data were extracted, georeferenced, and stored in a MySQL database with a web interface allowing free database access and data management. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:At the beginning of 2011, our database contained more than 12,000 georeferenced schistosomiasis survey locations from 35 African countries available under http://www.gntd.org. Currently, the database is expanded to a global repository, including a host of other NTDs, e.g. soil-transmitted helminthiasis and leishmaniasis. CONCLUSIONS:An open-access, spatially explicit NTD database offers unique opportunities for disease risk modeling, targeting control interventions, disease monitoring, and surveillance. Moreover, it allows for detailed geostatistical analyses of disease distribution in space and time. With an initial focus on schistosomiasis in Africa, we demonstrate the proof-of-concept that the establishment and running of a global NTD database is feasible and should be expanded without delay. |
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| 4. | Microb Pathog. 2011 Dec 7. [Epub ahead of print]Expression of infection-related genes in parasites and host during murine experimental infection with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.Pereira BA, Britto C, Alves CR.SourceLaboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Sala 209, Pavilhão Leonidas Deane, Avenida Brasil, 4365 Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, CEP 21040-360, Brasil. AbstractLeishmania parasites are able to interfere with host immune responses on many levels, as T cell responses balance, as observed in the murine model of infection. In the present study, we analyzed genes expression in both host and parasite during the progression of infection. Host genes associated to T-lymphocytes responses, MHC classes I and II, as well as parasite enzymes genes, cysteine-proteinases(CP) B and C, were examined in mice along evolution of infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. Murine strains with distinct levels of susceptibility to infection presented different patterns of MHC genes expression: MHC class I genes tend to have higher expression levels in CBA mice, whereas MHC class II genes expression predominates in BALB/c mice. CPB genes expression in the parasites was shown to predominate over CPC in both mice strains tested. Understanding genes expression patterns during infection may lead to new and more efficient treatments for leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier India Pvt Ltd. |
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| 5. | Nitric Oxide. 2011 Dec 7. [Epub ahead of print]Biological activity of ruthenium nitrosyl complexes.Tfouni E, Truzzi DR, Tavares A, Gomes AJ, Figueiredo LE, Franco DW.SourceDepartamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. AbstractNitric oxide plays an important role in various biological processes, such as neurotransmission, blood pressure control, immunological responses, and antioxidant action. The control of its local concentration, which is crucial for obtaining the desired effect, can be achieved with exogenous NO-carriers. Coordination compounds, in particular ruthenium(III) and (II) amines, are good NO-captors and -deliverers. The chemical and photochemical properties of several ruthenium amine complexes as NO-carriers in vitro and in vivo have been reviewed. These nitrosyl complexes can stimulate mice hippocampus slices, promote the lowering of blood pressure in several in vitro and in vivo models, and control Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania major infections, and they are also effective against tumor cells in different models of cancer. These complexes can be activated chemically or photochemically, and the observed biological effects can be attributed to the presence of NO in the compound. Their efficiencies are explained on the basis of the [Ru(II)NO(+)](3+)/[Ru(II)NO(0)](2+) reduction potential, the specific rate constant for NO liberation from the [RuNO](2+) moiety, and the quantum yield of NO release. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc. |
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| 6. | Acta Trop. 2011 Dec 9. [Epub ahead of print]Toxoplasmosis in military personnel involved in jungle operations.Gómez-Marín JE, de-la-Torre A, Barrios P, Cardona N, Alvarez C, Herrera C.SourceGrupo Parasitologia Molecular (GEPAMOL), Centro de Investigaciones Biomedicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Quindio, Armenia, Colombia. AbstractTropical diseases, mainly leishmaniasis and malaria, increased among Colombian military personnel due to intensive operations in the jungle in the last ten years; as a result the Colombian army developed important preventive strategies for malaria and leishmaniasis. However, no knowledge exists about toxoplasmosis, an emergent disease in military personnel. We compared the prevalence of IgG anti-Toxoplasma antibodies by ELISA and of parasitaemia by a real time PCR assay, in 500 professional soldiers that operated in the jungle with a group of 501 soldiers working in an urban zone (Bogotá). We found that the prevalence was significantly different between both groups of soldiers (80% in soldiers operating in jungle vs. 45% in urban soldiers, adjusted OR 11.4; CI 95%: 3.8-34; p<0.0001). All soldiers operating in the jungle drink unboiled and chlorine untreated lake or river water. In urban soldiers, these risk factors along with eating wild animal meat or eating tigrillo (little spotted cat) were significantly associated with a higher prevalence. Characteristic toxoplasmic choriorretinal lesions were found in 4 soldiers that operated in the jungle (0.8%) and in one urban soldier (0.19%). All soldiers before being deployed in jungle operations should be tested for Toxoplasma antibodies and to receive adequate health information about the routine use of personnel filters to purify their water for consumption. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. |
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| 7. | Vet Parasitol. 2011 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print]A new type of pterocarpanquinone that affects Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites in vitro.Portes JD, Netto CD, da Silva AJ, Costa PR, Damatta RA, Santos TA, De Souza W, Seabra SH.SourceLaboratório de Tecnologia em Cultura de Células, Centro Universitário Estadual da Zona Oeste (UEZO) - Av. Manuel Caldeira de Alvarenga, 1203, Campo Grande, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 23070-200, Brazil. AbstractToxoplasma gondii, the agent of Toxoplasmosis, is an obligate intracellular protozoan able to infect a wide range of vertebrate cells, including nonprofessional and professional phagocytes. Therefore, drugs must have intracellular activities in order to control this parasite. The most common therapy for Toxoplasmosis is the combination of sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. This treatment is associated with adverse reactions, thus, the development of new drugs is necessary. In previous studies, naphthoquinone derivatives showed anti-cancer activity functioning as agents capable of acting on groups of DNA, preventing cancer cells duplication. These derivatives also display anti-parasitic activity against Plasmodium falciparum and Leishmania amazonensis. The derivative pterocarpanquinone tested in this work resulted from the molecular hybridization between pterocarpans and naphtoquinone that presents anti-tumoral and anti-parasitic activities of lapachol. The aim of this work was to determine if this derivative is able to change T. gondii growth within LLC-MK2 cells. The drug did not arrest host cell growth, but was able to decrease the infection index of T. gondii with an IC(50) of 2.5μM. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed morphological changes of parasites including membrane damage. The parasite that survived tended to encyst as seen by Dolichos biflorus lectin staining and Bag-1 expression. These results suggest that pterocarpanquinones are drugs potentially important for the killing and encystment of T. gondii. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
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| 8. | Biochem J. 2011 Dec 19. [Epub ahead of print]Novel Sterol Metabolic Network of Trypanosoma brucei Procyclic and Bloodstream Forms.Nes CR, Singha UK, Liu J, Ganapathy K, Villalta F, Waterman MR, Lepesheva GI, Chaudhuri M, Nes WD.AbstractTrypanosoma brucei is the protozoan parasite that causes African trypanosomiasis, a neglected disease of people and animals. Co-metabolite analysis, labeling studies using [methyl-2H3]methionine and substrate/product-specificities of the cloned sterol C24-methyl transferase (24-SMT) and sterol C14-demethylase (14-SDM) from T. brucei afforded an uncommon sterol metabolic network that proceeds from lanosterol and 31-norlanosterol to ergosta-5,7,25(27)-trien-3β-ol (ETO), 24-dimethyl ergosta-5,7,25(27)-trienol (DTO) and ergosta-5,7,22(23)-trienol (ergosterol). To assess the possible carbon sources of ergosterol biosynthesis, specifically 13C-labeled specimens of lanosterol, acetate, leucine and glucose were administered to T. brucei and the 13C distributions found were in accord with the operation of the acetate-mevalonate pathway, with leucine as an alternate precursor, to ergostenols in either the insect or bloodstream form. In searching for metabolic signatures of procyclic cells, we observed that the 13C-labeling treatments induce fluctuations between the acetyl-CoA (mitochondrial) and sterol (cytosolic) synthetic pathways detected in the progressive increase in 13C-ergosterol production (control < [2-13C]leucine < [2-13C]acetate < [1-13C]glucose) and corresponding depletion of cholesta-5,7,24-trienol. We conclude that anabolic fluxes originating in mitochondrial metabolism constitute a flexible part of sterol synthesis that is further fluctuated in the cytosol yielding distinct sterol profiles in relation to cell demands on growth. |
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| 9. | Exp Parasitol. 2011 Dec;129(4):362-7. Epub 2011 Sep 21.Infestin 1R, an intestinal subtilisin inhibitor from Triatoma infestans able to impair mammalian cell invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi.Lovato DV, Amino R, González Y, Miranda A, Schenkman S, Tanaka AS.SourceDepartamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. AbstractInfestins are Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors described in the midgut of Triatoma infestans, Chagas disease vector. Of all infestins, only infestin 1R (INF1R) does not control host blood coagulation, due to its inhibitory specificity for chymotrypsin-like proteases. We further investigated the effect of INF1R on cell infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. The importance of INF1R reactive site to inhibit T. cruzi cell invasion was confirmed using 1RSFTI, a synthetic cyclic peptide containing the inhibitor reactive site region hybridized to the Sunflower Trypsin Inhibitor-1 (SFTI-1). Our results suggest that INF1R efficiently inhibited parasite cell invasion. For the first time, a serine protease inhibitor, derived from T. infestans, was shown to impair cell invasion by T. cruzi, representing possible new target in parasite cell invasion. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
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| 10. | Exp Parasitol. 2011 Dec;129(4):381-7. Epub 2011 Sep 14.Evaluation of thiosemicarbazones and semicarbazones as potential agents anti-Trypanos oma cruzi.Soares RO, Echevarria A, Bellieny MS, Pinho RT, de Leo RM, Seguins WS, Machado GM, Canto-Cavalheiro MM, Leon LL.SourceLaboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AbstractSynthetic thiosemicarbazones and semicarbazones were evaluated for their Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes obtained from LLC-MK2 cell cultures. In general, thiosemicarbazone derivatives were most effective and among them the 4-N-(2'-methoxy styryl)-thiosemicarbazone was chosen, to compare the in vitro effect against amastigotes of T. cruzi lodged in mouse peritoneal and human macrophages. A potent trypanocidal effect was observed that was more pronounced against parasites internalized in human macrophages. A potential target for this compound was also evaluated by measuring the nitric oxide synthase activity through NADPH consumption. A significant decrease in enzyme activity was observed. In contrast to the cytotoxic effect observed with benznidazole, no macrophage toxicity was observed for any of the compounds, indicating that their activity was specific for the parasite forms investigated. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
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