title: In vitro antiprotozoal effects of artemisinin on Neospora caninum.
abstract: Neospora caninum is an intracellular apicomplexan parasite that infects a wide range of mammals and has been associated with abortion in cattle worldwide. Artemisinin is an effective antimalarial compound derived from a traditional Chinese herbal remedy, qinghao or Artemisia annua L. In the study reported, the cultured host cells (vero cells or mouse peritoneal macrophages) infected with N. caninum tachyzoites were incubated with alpha-MEM (minimal essential medium) 10%HS supplemented with various concentration or artemisinin (20, 10, 1, 0.1 and 0.01 microg/ml) to examine the efficacy of artemisinin against N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication. In long-term studies, at 20 or 10 microg/ml for 11 days, artemisinin reduced N. caninum and completely eliminated all microscopic foci of N. caninum. At 1 microg/ml for 14 days, artemisinin reduced N. caninum and completely achieved elimination of all microscopic foci of N. caninum. There was no apparent toxicity to host cells in long-term studies. In short-term studies, at > or = 0.1microg/ml, artemisinin reduced N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication, significantly (P < 0.05) and appeared to depend on the artemisinin concentrations. Pretreatment of host cells or N. caninum tachyzoites with artemisinin had no effect on N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication. These results demonstrate that artemisinin inhibited N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Suwon 441-744, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Tai
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Yeol
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hun-Su
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Hwa-Gyun
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Jae-Wuk
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Jae-Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae-Yong
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hee-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Youn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037621:Artemisinins; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D003049:Coccidiostats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D018688:Neospora / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D003049:Coccidiostats; D003470:Culture Media; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C031327:artemisinin