Rapid detachment of Giardia lamblia trophozoites as a mechanism of antimicrobial action of the isoflavone formononetin.
OBJECTIVE
Attachment to the small intestinal mucosa is crucial for initiating and maintaining Giardia infection. We tested the effect of isoflavones on Giardia attachment.


METHODS
We evaluated the effect of formononetin on trophozoite attachment to glass, to intestinal epithelial cell layers in vitro and to murine small intestinal explants, and on the intestinal load in mice.


RESULTS
We found that the isoflavone formononetin inhibits both attachment and flagellar motility within minutes and reduces the trophozoite load of Giardia in mice within 1.5 h after treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The antigiardial activity of formononetin is at least partially due to its capacity to rapidly detach trophozoites.
Lauwaet
Tineke
T
Department of Pathology, University of California at San Diego, 214 Dickinson Street, San Diego, CA 92103-8416, USA. tlauwaet@ucsd.edu
Andersen
Yolanda
Y
Van de Ven
Liesbeth
L
Eckmann
Lars
L
Gillin
Frances D
FD
D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D005407:Flagella / Q000187:drug effects; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D053058:Trophozoites / Q000187:drug effects
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D007529:Isoflavones; C007768:formononetin