In vitro effect of short-term exposure to two synthetic peptides, alone or in combination with clarithromycin or rifabutin, on Cryptosporidium parvum infectivity.
The viability of Cryptosporidium parvum after exposure to peptide antibiotics was studied by two different methods, a cell culture system and a double fluorogenic staining. The peptides KFFKFFKFF and IKFLKFLKFL exerted high cytotoxic effects on sporozoites, as demonstrated by cell cultures (complete inhibition after 60 min at 100 microg/ml) and flow cytometry (30% after 20 min at 100 microg/ml), but did not affect consistently the oocysts. Clarithromycin and rifabutin demonstrated less activity against sporozoites but higher activity against oocysts (30% after 180 min at 10 microg/ml). The combination between peptides and azithromycin or rifabutin exerted the highest activities.
Giacometti
Andrea
A
Clinica Malattie Infettive, c/o Ospedale Regionale, Via Conca, Ancona, Italy. anconacmi@interfree.it
Cirioni
Oscar
O
Kamysz
Wojciech
W
Kasprzykowski
Franciszek
F
Barchiesi
Francesco
F
Del Prete
Maria Simona
MS
Maćkiewicz
Zbigniew
Z
Scalise
Giorgio
G
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D033661:Oocysts / Q000187:drug effects; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017828:Rifabutin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D034101:Sporozoites / Q000187:drug effects
D010455:Peptides; D017828:Rifabutin; D017291:Clarithromycin