title: BnSP-7 toxin, a basic phospholipase A2 from Bothrops pauloensis snake venom, interferes with proliferation, ultrastructure and infectivity of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.
abstract: This paper reports the effects of BnSP-7 toxin, a catalytically inactive phospholipase A2 from Bothrops pauloensis snake venom, on Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. BnSP-7 presented activity against promastigote parasite forms both in the MTT assay, with IC50 of 58.7 μg mL(-1) of toxin, and a growth curve, inhibiting parasite proliferation 60-70% at concentrations of 50-200 μg mL(-1) of toxin 96 h after treatment. Also, the toxin presented effects on amastigotes, reducing parasite viability by 50% at 28.1 μg mL(-1) and delaying the amastigote-promastigote differentiation process. Ultrastructural studies showed that BnSP-7 caused severe morphological changes in promastigotes such as mitochondrial swelling, nuclear alteration, vacuolization, acidocalcisomes, multiflagellar aspects and a blebbing effect in the plasma membrane. Finally, BnSP-7 interfered with the infective capacity of promastigotes in murine peritoneal macrophages, causing statistically significant infectivity-index reductions (P < 0.05) of 20-35%. These data suggest that the BnSP-7 toxin is an important tool for the discovery of new parasite targets that can be exploited to develop new drugs for treating leishmaniasis.
authors: Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
authors: Débora C O
authors: DC
authors: Nunes
authors: Márcia M N R
authors: MM
authors: Figueira
authors: Daiana S
authors: DS
authors: Lopes
authors: Dayane L Naves
authors: DL
authors: De Souza
authors: Luiz Fernando M
authors: LF
authors: Izidoro
authors: Eloísa A V
authors: EA
authors: Ferro
authors: Maria A
authors: MA
authors: Souza
authors: Renata S
authors: RS
authors: Rodrigues
authors: Veridiana M
authors: VM
authors: Rodrigues
authors: Kelly A G
authors: KA
authors: Yoneyama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017837:Bothrops / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000276:immunology*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D054467:Phospholipases A2 / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D054467:Phospholipases A2