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E Deharo

Publications and source records attributed to E Deharo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

A search for natural bioactive compounds in Bolivia through a multidisciplinary approach. Part IV. Is a new haem polymerisation inhibition test pertinent for the detection of antimalarial natural products?

The search for new antimalarial agents in plant crude extracts using traditional screening tests is time-consuming and expensive. New in vitro alternative techniques, based on specific metabolic or enzymatic process, have recently been developed to circumvent testing of antimalarial activity in parasite culture. The haem polymerisation inhibition test (HPIA) was proposed as a possible routine in vitro assay for the detection of antimalarial activity in natural products. A total of 178 plant extracts from the Pharmacopeia of the Bolivian ethnia Tacana, were screened for their ability to inhibit the polymerisation of haematin. Five extracts from Aloysia virgata (Ruíz & Pavón) A.L. Jussieu (Verbenaceae), Bixa orellana L. (Bixaceae), Caesalpinia pluviosa D.C. (Caesalpiniaceae), Mascagnia stannea (Griseb) Nied. (Malpighiaceae) and Trichilia pleenea (Adr. Jussieu) (Meliaceae) demonstrated more than 70% inhibition of haematin polymerisation at 2.5 mg/ml. The extracts were also tested for antimalarial activity in culture against F32 strain (chloroquine-sensitive) and D2 strain (chloroquine-resistant) of Plasmodium falciparum and in vivo against P. berghei. The extract from Caesalpinia pluviosa was the only one that showed activity in HPIA and in the classical test in culture. The accuracy and pertinence of HPIA, applied to natural products is discussed.

Animals↗

The search for natural bioactive compounds through a multidisciplinary approach in Bolivia. Part II. Antimalarial activity of some plants used by Mosetene indians.

Forty-six different species collected in the Mosetene ethnia, dwelling in the Andean Piedmont of Bolivia, were screened for antimalarial properties. Thirty-three extracts were screened for antimalarial activity in vitro on Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistant strain (Indo), and forty-seven extracts were evaluated in vivo on the rodent malaria P. vinckei petteri 279BY. Only two plants are specifically used in combination by the Mosetene against malaria attack (Hymenachne donacifolia and Tesseria integrifolia), but they did not display any activity in vivo at 1000 mg/kg. The in vivo most active extracts were Swietenia macrophylla bark, Trema micrantha bark and Triplaris americana bark, not all of them were used for antimalarial purposes by the Mosetene. The following extracts were moderately active: Jacaratia digitata inner bark and Momordica charantia aerial part (both traditionally used as febrifuge), Kalanchoe pinnate aerial part (used in inflammatory processes), Lunania parviflora twigs and leaves, Phyllanthus acuminatus (used as piscicide), Tynanthus schumannianus fruit (used against diarrhoea), Triumfetta semitrilobata (used as febrifuge, to alleviate kidney and gynecological pain) and finally Solanum mammosum fruit (used against scabies). We present here the results of this screening, emphazing on the in vivo antimalarial activity of the selected plants. The antimalarial in vivo activity of the selected species, in relation with their traditional Mosetene use is then discussed.

Animals↗

A search for natural bioactive compounds in Bolivia through a multidisciplinary approach. Part I. Evaluation of the antimalarial activity of plants used by the Chacobo Indians.

Thirty extracts of plants traditionally used by the Chacobos, a native community living in the Amazonian part of Bolivia, were screened in vitro and/or in vivo for antimalarial activity. Two of the four species designated as antimalarial, Geissospermum laeve and Maquira coriacea, displayed rather good activity, corroborating their traditional uses. However, they did show a rather high toxicity in vivo. Among twelve species used to cure symptoms relevant to malaria, five showed good activity: Apuleia leiocarpa, Bauhinia guianensis, Nectandra cuspidata, Sparattanthelium amazonum, Tanaecium jaroba. Two species, Qualea paraensis and Sclerolobium aff. guianense, used to treat scabies, showed interesting antimalarial activity in vivo; three other species (Iryanthera laevis, Prunus amplifolia, Pterocarpus aff. amazonum) used for various medicinal purposes, apparently not related with a Plasmodium infection, also showed antimalarial activity. Finally, one species (Derris amazonica) used as a piscicide displayed good in vitro activity, in the same way as one Annonaceae, Guatteria aff. schomburgkiana, used for construction purposes.

Animals↗

Medicinal plants uses of the Tacana, an Amazonian Bolivian ethnic group.

We present the results of an ethnopharmacological investigation of a Bolivian lowland ethnic group, the Tacana. The Tacana have a long tradition of exchange with highland communities. Though facing rapid acculturation, highlighted by the loss of the Tacana language among the younger generations, the knowledge and uses of medicinal plants are still alive. Of the approximately 450 different plant species collected during this survey, 33% had medicinal uses. We present an overview of the traditional Tacana ethnomedicine and pharmacopoeia.

Bolivia↗

A search for natural bioactive compounds in Bolivia through a multidisciplinary approach. Part III. Evaluation Of the antimalarial activity of plants used by Alteños Indians.

A total of 40 plant extracts traditionally used by the Alteños Indians, a native community living between the Andean block and the tropical valleys of Bolivia, were screened for antimalarial activity in vitro on Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistant (Indo) strain, and in vivo on rodent malaria Plasmodium vinckei petteri. Eleven extracts displayed good or moderate activity in vivo, and ten extracts good or very good antimalarial activity in vitro. Results of the screening are discussed here, in relation with the traditional use of plants.

Antimalarials↗

Submicron oil-in-water emulsion formulations for mefloquine and halofantrine: effect of electric-charge inducers on antimalarial activity in mice.

Stearylamine, oleic acid, phosphatidylserine and dicetylphosphate have been studied to determine their capacity to induce electric charge on non-ionic submicron emulsions containing halofantrine and mefloquine. The in-vivo antimalarial activity of drug-loaded emulsions, evaluated in mice, was affected by the nature of the additives used. In particular, the electric-charge inducers markedly affected the pharmacological activity of mefloquine, but not of halofantrine. After subcutaneous administration ED50 values (the doses affording 50% protection) were 3 and 15 mg kg(-1), respectively, for halofantrine and mefloquine emulsions without charge inducers. The mefloquine-loaded emulsions with charge inducers were active at 10 mg kg(-1) for dicetylphosphate, 17 mg kg(-1) for phosphatidylserine, 23 mg kg(-1) for oleic acid and 27 mg kg(-1) for stearylamine, again after subcutaneous administration. This work has enabled the formulation of stable emulsions, incorporating drugs with high antimalarial activity, which are proposed for parenteral delivery of these fairly soluble drugs.

Animals↗

Modifications in the rhythm of schizogony in Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi associated with the selection of chloroquine resistance.

A high level of drug resistance was obtained with a line of Plasmodium chabaudi maintained under intense chloroquine selection pressure according to the protocols established for P. berghei. The main objective of this work was to verify if the characteristic asynchronous schizogonic rhythm of naturally resistant rodent malaria parasites was also found when the drug resistance was induced experimentally. The degree of resistance was evaluated through the use of the "2% delay test" (DT) and the schizogonic rhythm, by reference to the synchronicity index (SI). The strain had originally a DT of 4.26 and an SI of 0.52. Following the application of 80 mg/kg chloroquine at each passage, as early as at the 8th passage the parasites rapidly became resistant and asynchronous. At the 17th passage the DT was 3.32 and the SI, 0.20. In the drug-resistant line the original indices, both the DT and the SI, were restored after deep-freezing, sporogony, or passage through a Percoll gradient, or simply by repeated intravenous subinoculations of blood. The clear correlation between asynchronicity and drug resistance is easily explained by the action of chloroquine, which favours the schizogonic cycles initiated by latent merozoites.

Animals↗

Role of macrophages as possible transporters of Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis merozoites through the lymphatic system. Preliminary note.

Vesicles containing apparently healthy merozoites from mature schizonts were observed in the spleen and lymph nodes of mice parasitized by Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis. They differed from all parasitic stages undergoing digestion by the macrophage and from mature schizonts of the blood. Up to 40 merozoites from three mature schizonts may be seen in the same compartment. They are thought to be accumulations of latent merozoites.

Animals↗

Preliminary evaluation of primaquine activity on rodent malaria model after transdermal administration.

The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the potential use of the transdermal route for primaquine administration in the treatment of malaria. Thus the activity of this drug on asexual blood forms of two rodent malaria parasites (P. v. petteri and P. y. nigeriensis) was evaluated following a single TTS patch application. Sustained plasma concentration values were observed for about 60 hours. The results obtained from a prepatency test showed that primaquine was more active towards P. v. petteri than P. y. nigeriensis. This preliminary study showed that the transdermal route for primaquine administration may be a promising strategy for improving the treatment of malaria in both causal prophylactic and prevention of relapses infection.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Mode of antimalarial effect of methylene blue and some of its analogues on Plasmodium falciparum in culture and their inhibition of P. vinckei petteri and P. yoelii nigeriensis in vivo.

The antimalarial action of methylene blue (MB) was first noted by Paul Ehrlich in the late 19th century. Although it has only sporadically been adopted as a serviceable drug, the resolution of its antimalarial action seems warranted, as it is currently used for the treatment of various methemoglobinemias. In this work we have used MB, and its analogues Azures A (AZA), B (AZB), C (AZC), and thionin (TH), as well as the oxazine Celestine blue (CB) and azine Phenosaphranin (PS). All MB analogues inhibit the growth of various strains of Plasmodium falciparum in culture with IC50s in the 2 x 10(-9)-1 x 10(-7) M range, with the rank order MB approximately AZA > AZB > AZC > TH > PS > CB. The IC50s for a mammalian cell line were in the 3 x 10(-6)-4 x 10(-5) M range, and the rank order was TH approximately AZB > AZA approximately PS > AZC approximately CB > MB. As MB could affect cell growth through the oxidation of NADPH, we tested the action of the various compounds on the hexose-monophosphate shunt activity. Appreciable activation of the shunt was observed at 1 x 10(-5) M in both cell types, thus accounting for inhibition of growth of mammalian cells but not of parasites. All compounds were found to complex with heme in a rank order similar to their antimalarial effect. It is therefore suggested that MB and its congeners act by preventing the polymerization of heme, which is produced during the digestion of host cell cytosol in the parasite food vacuole, into hemozoin. In this respect, these compounds seem to act similarly to the 4-aminoquinoline antimalarials. All compounds effectively suppressed the growth of P. vinckei petteri in vivo with IC50 in the 1.2-5.2 mg/kg range, and MB and AZB suppressed P. yoelii nigeriensis in the 9-11 mg/kg range (i.e. at doses similar to those of chloroquine). The potential toxicity of these compounds may restrict their clinical use, but their impressive antimalarial activities suggest that the phenothiazine structure could serve as a lead compound for further drug development.

Animals↗

The erythrocytic schizogony of two synchronized strains of plasmodium berghei, NK65 and ANKA, in normocytes and reticulocytes.

By a modified Percoll-glucose centrifugation technique the rings and young trophozoites of two strains of Plasmodium berghei, NK65 and ANKA, were separated from the other erythrocytic stages and inoculated into mice. The subsequent infection was followed for ANKA in normal mice and for NK65 in normal mice and in mice with high-grade reticulocytosis induced by injections of phenylhydrazine. The duration of the erythrocytic schizogony of the NK65 strain was shown to be independent of the age of the host cell, and the hour of inoculation did not influence the cycle of the ANKA strain.

Animals↗

Erythrocyte stages of Plasmodium falciparum exhibit a high nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and release an NOS-inducing soluble factor.

Nitric oxide (NO), a highly diffusible cellular mediator involved in a wide range of biological effects, has been indicated as one of the cytotoxic agents released by leukocytes to counteract malaria infection. On the other hand, NO has been implicated as a mediator of the neuropathological symptoms of cerebral malaria. In such circumstances NO production has been thought to be induced in host tissues by host-derived cytokines. Here we provide evidence for the first time that human red blood cells infected by Plasmodium falciparum (IRBC) synthesize NO. The synthesis of NO (measured as citrulline and nitrate production) appeared to be very high in comparison with human endothelial cells; no citrulline and nitrate production was detectable in noninfected red blood cells. The NO synthase (NOS) activity was very high in the lysate of IRBC (while not measurable in that of normal red blood cells) and was inhibited in a dose-dependent way by three different NOS inhibitors (L-canavanine, NG-amino-L-arginine, and NG-nitro-L-arginine). NOS activity in P. falciparum IRBC is Ca++ independent, and the enzyme shows an apparent molecular mass < 100 kD, suggesting that the parasite expresses an isoform different from those found in mammalian cells. IRBC release a soluble factor able to induce NOS in human endothelial cells. Such NOS-inducing activity is not tissue specific, is time and dose dependent, requires de novo protein synthesis, and is probably associated with a thermolabile protein having a molecular mass > 100 kD. Our data suggest that an increased NO synthesis in P. falciparum malaria can be directly elicited by soluble factor(s) by the blood stages of the parasite, without necessarily requiring the intervention of host cytokines.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗

Antimalarial effects of C18 fatty acids on Plasmodium falciparum in culture and on Plasmodium vinckei petteri and Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis in vivo.

Following the demonstration of the antimalarial effect of the long chain saturated alcohol n-hentriacontanol ((CH2)29CH2OH), isolated from the Bolivian endemic solanaceous plant Cuatresia sp., we have tested the effect of the C18 fatty acids oleic, elaidic, linoleic, and linoleic on malaria parasites. These fatty acids inhibited the parasitemic development in mice infected with Plasmodium vinckei petteri or with Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis in a 4-day suppressive test. To gain a deeper discernment of the antimalarial mode of action, the effects of these compounds were evaluated on Plasmodium falciparum growth in culture. Whereas n-hentriacontanol did not show any inhibition of this parasite, on the contrary, the C18 acids displayed a considerably inhibitory activity at < or = 200 micrograms/ml both in intact infected cells and in free parasites. In order to understand the mechanism of their antimalarial action, several tests were performed. No hemolysis of infected cells could be observed up to 500 microgram/ml. No effect on the lipid peroxidation, ATP levels, transport through the parasite-induced permeability pathways, or on the phagocytosis of the infected cells could be observed. The cytotoxic effect of the fatty acids was very rapid: full inhibition of nucleic acids and protein syntheses was observed in less than 30 min. This inhibition was not relieved by the addition of deferrioxamine or FeCl3, indicating that fatty acids (FA) do not act by facilitating the transport of iron. Inhibition was relieved in neither the presence of orotic acid or its methyl ester, indicating that FA do not act at the mitochondrial level of pyrimidine synthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Antimalarial properties of soy-bean fat emulsions.

Intralipid and Ivelip are commercial preparations of soy-bean lipid extracts used for intravenous supplementation of lipids in various clinical conditions. They were found to inhibit the growth of Plasmodium falciparum in culture with an IC50 of 8.07 +/- 2.13 and 13.32 +/- 2.05 mg.ml-1, respectively. Intralipid rapidly and efficiently inhibited nucleic acid synthesis in cultured P. falciparum, exhibiting full inhibitory activity in less than 2 h. Ivelip injected intraperitoneally, was found by the 4-day suppressive test to be active in vivo against P. vinckei petteri within the normal recommended regimen for dietary lipid supply (0.5-4 g.kg-1), but it was impossible to obtain a radical cure even with very high doses (6.4 g.kg-1). Ivelip was less effective against P. berghei and P. yoelii nigeriensis. As Ivelip showed no interference with the antimalarial activity of chloroquine, it could be considered for use in the treatment of severe human malaria in association with 4-aminoquinolines to expedite the clearance of parasites.

Animals↗

The adjustment of the schizogonic cycle of Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi in the blood to the circadian rhythm of the host.

Experiments were performed with P. chabaudi chabaudi to investigate the relationship between the development of the parasite and the circadian rhythm of the host. Blood was taken from a donor mouse at 10.00 hours, when it contained mainly young stages and inoculated to receptor mice, either immediately or after B hours at +4 degrees C. The inoculum was diluted in order to obtain a more or less extended prepatent period. Thus, by using successively the different mice, parasitemias could be followed during 12 days before the crisis. When parasitemias reached 1%, from day 1 (D1) to D7, depending on the dilution, the parasitic patterns were studied every 6 hours during 2 or 3 days. In mice inoculated at 10.00 hours the rhythm remained unmodified. In mice inoculated at 18.00 hours the infection was at first synchronous (from D1 to D4) but the schizogony occurred between 06.00 and 12.00 hours instead of midnight. From day 4 to day 7 the infection became asynchronous. At day 10 the normal rhythm was resumed and the schizogony occurred around midnight.

Animals↗