title: Selective effect of 2',6'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxychalcone isolated from Piper aduncum on Leishmania amazonensis.
abstract: 2',6'-Dihydroxy-4'-methoxychalcone (DMC) was purified from the dichloromethane extract of Piper aduncum inflorescences. DMC showed significant activity in vitro against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis, with 50% effective doses of 0.5 and 24 micrograms/ml, respectively. Its inhibitory effect on amastigotes is apparently a direct effect on the parasites and is not due to activation of the nitrogen oxidative metabolism of macrophages, since the production of nitric oxide by both unstimulated and recombinant gamma interferon-stimulated macrophages was decreased rather than increased with DMC. The phagocytic activity of macrophages was functioning normally even with DMC concentrations as high as 80 micrograms/ml, as seen by electron microscopy and by the uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled beads. Ultrastructural studies also showed that in the presence of DMC the mitochondria of promastigotes were enlarged and disorganized. Despite destruction of intracellular amastigotes, no disarrangement of macrophage organelles were observed, even at 80 micrograms of DMC/ml. These observations suggest that DMC is selectively toxic to the parasites. Its simple structure may well enable it to serve as a new lead compound for the synthesis of novel antileishmanial drugs.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Torres-Santos
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Meirelles
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rossi-Bergmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002599:Chalcone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047188:Chalcones; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C118962:2',6'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxychalcone; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D047188:Chalcones; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002599:Chalcone