Parasiticidal effect of 16alpha-bromoepiandrosterone (EpiBr) in amoebiasis and cysticercosis.
The effect of the dehydroepiandrosterone analog 16alpha-bromoepiandrosterone (EpiBr) was tested on the tapeworm Taenia crassiceps and the protist Entamoeba histolytica, both in vivo and in vitro. Administration of EpiBr prior to infection with cysticerci in mice reduced the parasite load by 50% compared with controls. EpiBr treatment induced 20% reduction on the development of amoebic liver abscesses in hamsters. In vitro treatment of T. crassiceps and E. histolytica cultures with EpiBr, reduced reproduction, motility and viability in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. These results leave open the possibility of assessing the potential of this hormonal analog as a possible anti-parasite drug, including cysticercosis and amoebiasis.
Carrero
Julio César
JC
Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, Mexico. carrero@biomedicas.unam.mx
Cervantes-Rebolledo
Claudia
C
Vargas-Villavicencio
José Antonio
JA
Hernández-Bello
Romel
R
Dowding
Charles
C
Frincke
James
J
Reading
Chris
C
Morales-Montor
Jorge
J
D000562:Amebiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology*; D000738:Androsterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology*; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013621:Taenia / Q000187:drug effects*
D000871:Anthelmintics; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; C032020:16-bromoepiandrosterone; D000738:Androsterone