Antiparasitic activity of aromatic diamidines is related to apoptosis-like death in Trypanosoma cruzi.
Two aromatic diamidines, furamidine (DB75) and its phenyl-substituted analogue (DB569), which exhibit trypanocidal activity, were assayed against Trypanosoma cruzi and were found to induce apoptosis-like death characteristics such as nuclear DNA condensation and fragmentation, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and phosphatidylserine exposure. DB569 displays superior trypanocidal activity compared to furamidine and also had higher ability to induce apoptosis-like death in treated parasites. The present results showing apoptosis-like death in T. cruzi after treatment with both DB75 and DB569 make important contributions to the understanding of the mechanisms of the aromatic diamidines, which represent promising trypanocidal compounds.
De Souza
E M
EM
Lab. Biologia Celular, DUBC, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Menna-Barreto
R
R
Araújo-Jorge
T C
TC
Kumar
A
A
Hu
Q
Q
Boykin
D W
DW
Soeiro
M N C
MN
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001550:Benzamidines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051379:Mice; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D010419:Pentamidine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D001550:Benzamidines; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D010419:Pentamidine; C033286:furamidine