Evaluation of anti-prion activity of congo red and its derivatives in experimentally infected hamsters.
Among transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), particularly dreadful are the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), because of its epidemic character, and the new variant of Creutzfeldt-lakob disease (vCJD) in man, possibly related to BSE prion, through the intake of infected food. To treat TSE, many potentially therapeutic agents have been tested: some of them, among which is Congo Red (CAS 573-58-0, CR), delayed the onset of symptoms in scrapie-infected rodents, and some CR derivatives proved to be effective in vitro. The capacity of a synthesized CR derivative (CR-A) and of the aromatic central benzidine rings of CR (CR-B) to abrogate scrapie-induced disease in experimentally infected hamsters was assayed. CR, used as reference substance, administered i.c. after pre-incubation with the scrapie inoculum, was strongly effective in slowing the progression of the infection, while both CR-A and CR-B, administered alone or together, were not effective. Both CR-A and CR, when administered by subcutaneous route in i.c. scrapie-infected animals. prolonged the survival time in comparison to controls; CR-B was not effective. Moreover, both CR and CR-A were very effective in prolonging the survival time of i.p. scrapie-infected hamsters. The hypothesis of possible different mechanisms of interaction between CR or CR-A and the scrapie agent related to the chemical structures of the molecules is discussed.
Poli
Giorgio
G
Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy. giorgio.poli@unimi.it
Martino
Piera Anna
PA
Villa
Stefania
S
Carcassola
Gabriella
G
Giannino
Maria Laura
ML
Dall'Ara
Paola
P
Pollera
Claudia
C
Iussich
Selina
S
Tranquillo
Vito M
VM
Bareggi
Silvio
S
Mantegazza
Paolo
P
Ponti
Wilma
W
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003224:Congo Red / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007267:Injections; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008647:Mesocricetus; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis
D004396:Coloring Agents; D003224:Congo Red