In vitro antiprotozoal effects of artemisinin on Neospora caninum.
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.
Kim
Jong-Tai
JT
Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Suwon 441-744, South Korea.
Park
Jong-Yeol
JY
Seo
Hun-Su
HS
Oh
Hwa-Gyun
HG
Noh
Jae-Wuk
JW
Kim
Jae-Hoon
JH
Kim
Dae-Yong
DY
Youn
Hee-Jeong
HJ
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
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D003049:Coccidiostats; D003470:Culture Media; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C031327:artemisinin