An in vivo study of the antimalarial effect of polyamine synthesis inhibitors in Plasmodium berghei

• Malaria is one of the most devastating diseases of the developing world responsible for approximately two million deaths annually. The high mortality together with the fact that resistance to available antimalarial drugs has increased, highlights the necessity of finding new chemotherapeutics against the parasite. Polyamines play a critical role in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in most organisms including the malaria parasite. Therefore, targeting enzymes in the polyamine synthesis could be a possible approach to combat malaria. In order to evaluate the curative potential of the polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors S-adenosyl-3-thio-1,8-diaminooctane (AdoDATO) and trans-4-methylcyclohexylamine (4MCHA), which both target spermidine synthase, we took the advantage of an accessible mouse model using the rodent malaria parasite, P. berghei. Despite the promising inhibitory potential of AdoDATO, this drug was inefficient against malaria infection in mice. In contrast, 4MCHA restrained the parasite infection, which subsequently led to clearance within 24 days. This curative effect was not synergistically enhanced by combination treatment with the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and neither did a prophylactic treatment of 4MCHA increase the antimalarial effect. Interestingly, mice that received 4MCHA treatment gained a protective immunity towards malaria infection. The nature of this protective immunity is not established.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Malaria

Plasmodium

polyamine inhibitors

4MCHA

DFMO

AdoDATO

Molecular biology

Molekylärbiologi

Infectious Diseases

infektionssjukdomar

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)