title: Aspects of the cytological activity of edelfosine, miltefosine, and ilmofosine in Leishmania donovani.
abstract: To discover the mode of action of alkyl-lysophospholipids in Leishmania donovani, we studied the effects of edelfosine, miltefosine, and ilmofosine on intracellular pH, the parasite's cell cycle, and the induction of apoptosis. The effect of the alkyl-lysophospholipids was combined with that of inhibitors of some pumps and exchange regulators of intracellular pH (Na+/ H+; Cl-/CO- 3; and the Na+/K+ ATPase). The effect of the 3 alkyl-lysophospholipids on intracellular pH was indirect; the primary action occurred in the parasite's cell membrane. To determine intracellular pH, we used flow cytometry for the macrophages and axenic amastigotes and spectrofluorometry for the promastigote forms. Apoptosis and the cell cycle were studied by flow cytometry. Treatment of the extracellular promastigote form of L. donovani with the 3 alkyl-lysophospholipids induced death by apoptosis, whereas in the infected cell they caused necrosis rather than apoptosis. Miltefosine and ilmofosine at doses of 38 microM caused G2/M cell cycle inhibition in L. donovani promastigotes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Parasitology, University of Granada Campus Fuentenueva 18071, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azzouz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maache
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sarciron
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Petavy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osuna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration / Q000187:drug effects; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010742:Phospholipid Ethers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010742:Phospholipid Ethers; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; C026659:edelfosine; C039128:miltefosine; C043297:ilmofosine