Inhibition of growth of Chlamydia trachomatis by the calcium antagonist verapamil.
Treatment of BGM (African Green Monkey kidney) cells with the calcium antagonist Verapamil resulted in a reduced yield of chlamydial infectious particles. The inhibitory effect was concentration-dependent, the maximal effect being achieved at 200 microM-Verapamil, which produced a 99.99% reduction of infectious particle yield. Electron microscopy showed that control Chlamydia trachomatis-infected BGM cells contained typical large inclusions in which most of the particles were elementary bodies, whereas Verapamil-treated infected cells contained small inclusions consisting predominantly of reticulate bodies. The findings indicate a possible therapeutic use of this calcium antagonist as an anti-chlamydial drug.
Shainkin-Kestenbaum
R
R
Department of Nephrology, Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel.
Winikoff
Y
Y
Kol
R
R
Chaimovitz
C
C
Sarov
I
I
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000032:analysis; D007668:Kidney; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014700:Verapamil; D002118:Calcium