title: Galantamine effect on tularemia pathogenesis in a BALB/c mouse model.
abstract: Galantamine is a drug used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and some other cognitive disorders. It is an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase; however, interaction with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors has also been reported. Owing to the significant role of cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathways in neuro-immunomodulation, we decided to examine the effect of galantamine on tularemia-infected BALB/c mice.
  
  
  
  Animals were infected with Francisella tularensis LVS and treated with galantamine (0.1 mg/kg of body weight). Total mortality over the course of tularemia infection was assessed and interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) in plasma samples were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Apart from the cytokine assays, biochemical markers such as inorganic phosphate, uric acid, lactate dehydrogenase, gamma glutamyltransferase, creatinine phosphokinase and amylase were assayed.
  
  
  
  The modulation of immunity by galantamine depended on two opposing processes: up-regulation of IFN-gamma and down-regulation of IL-6. Tularemia infection resulted in significant nephropathy, as hyperphosphataemia and hyperuricaemia occurred in infected animals. In addition, galantamine resulted in the mitigation of nephropathy, and markers of kidney dysfunction were modulated. Alterations in mortality were also found in this study.
  
  
  
  Galantamine can significantly influence the immune response via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Despite the decrease in IL-6 levels, galantamine treatment enhanced protection against the intracellular pathogen F. tularensis, resulting in the remission of some pathology and reduced mortality.
authors.affiliation: University of Defence, Trebesska, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pohanka
authors.affiliation: University of Defence, Trebesska, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.|Centre of Biological Defence, 56166 Techonin, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Oto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pavlis
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pikula
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000187:drug effects; D005702:Galantamine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014406:Tularemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D005702:Galantamine; D007371:Interferon-gamma