title: Toxoplasma gondii: activity of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic nigericin on tachyzoites in cell culture.
abstract: Polyether ionophorous antibiotics are widely used prophylactically to prevent coccidiosis in livestock production. The study of the effects of the nigericin on tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii clearly demonstrated that very low concentrations of this ionophore (0.05 microgram/ml) were sufficient to inhibit strongly the penetration and totally inhibit the intracellular development of parasites. Both nigericin and epinigericin showed a similar activity against tachyzoite development. However, the activity of abierixicin was 50-fold lower. Such antibiotic concentrations did not seem to affect host cells. Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy showed important changes in the cytology of the antibiotic-treated parasites: they were vacuolated or swollen and were sometimes found burst open, having lost their original shape. The magnitude and the frequency of alterations rose as concentrations in ionophore increased.
authors.affiliation: Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire de Biologie comparée des protistes, URA CNRS 138, Aubiere, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Couzinet
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dubremetz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prensier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003470:Culture Media; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009550:Nigericin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D011714:Pyrans / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D011714:Pyrans; C047796:abierixin; D009550:Nigericin; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide