title: Ultrastructural alterations and growth inhibition of Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania major induced by Bothrops jararaca venom.
abstract: Snake venom can affect the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. As new classes of therapeutic drugs against protozoan parasites could be derived from snake venom, alterations in the ultrastructure and growth of the epimastigotes, trypomastigotes and amastigotes of T. cruzi, as well as the promastigotes of Leishmania major, were analyzed after treatment with crude venom from Bothrops jararaca. Parasite growth (epimastigotes and promastigotes) of venom treated cultures showed a negative correlation between cell growth and venom concentration. No growth occurred at a dose of 100 microg/ml of venom, while 50% growth inhibition was obtained in the range 0.1-0.3 microg/ml. Ultrastructural observations of treated bloodstream trypomastigotes, intracellular amastigotes, as well as axenic cultures of epimastigotes and promastigotes, demonstrated mitochondrial swelling and kinetoplast disorganization. Our data show that B. jararaca venom effectively inhibited the growth of T. cruziand L. major parasites. Growth inhibition was probably related to mitochondrial impairment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, 28015-620 Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriana R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Maurilio J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Wanderley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Renato A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: DaMatta
authors.forename: Elias W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Alves
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D017837:Bothrops; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D003435:Crotalid Venoms