title: The sesquiterpene lactone dehydroleucodine (DhL) affects the growth of cultured epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi.
abstract: Here, we report an inhibitory effect of a sesquiterpene lactone dehydroleucodine (DhL) on the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi in culture. At concentrations of the drug between 5 and 10 microg/ml in the medium,the parasites remained alive for at least 4 days. Higher concentrations of DhL were lethal for the parasites within a few hours. The effect of DhL is irreversible. Morphological changes induced by DhL were also observed in the parasites. The effect of DhL was blocked by the presence of reducing substrates such as glutathione or dithiothreitol, but these agents were not able to reverse the effect of DhL if added 2 days after the start of drug exposure.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Brengio
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Belmonte
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guerreiro
authors.forename: O S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Pietrobon
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry; D003470:Culture Media; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007783:Lactones; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C079949:dehydroleucodine