title: Artesunate, a potential drug for treatment of Babesia infection.
abstract: The effects of artesunate, a water-soluble artemisinin derivative, against Babesia species, including Babesia bovis, Babesia gibsoni and Babesia microti were studied. Cultures of B. bovis and B. gibsoni were treated with 0.26, 2.6, 26 and 260microM artesunate, showing inhibition of parasite growth at concentrations equal to and greater than 2.6microM artesunate by days 3 post-treatment for B. gibsoni and B. bovis in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with in vitro experiments, artesunate was effective in the treatment of mice infected with B. microti at doses equal to and greater than 10mg/kg of body weight on days 8-10 post-infection. Taken together, these results suggest that artesunate could be a potential drug against Babesia infection.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Youn-Kyoung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Goo
authors.forename: M Alaa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Terkawi
authors.forename: Honglin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: G Oluga
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Aboge
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ooka
authors.forename: Bryce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Suk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Fujiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sunaga
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Namikawa
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Xuenan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xuan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077332:Artesunate; D001403:Babesia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D016793:Babesia bovis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D041001:Babesia microti / Q000187:drug effects*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D037621:Artemisinins; D000077332:Artesunate