In vivo transmission blocking activities of artesunate on the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum.
Infection and transmission of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum in domestic chickens is associated with high economic burden and presents a major challenge to poultry industry in South East Asia. Development of drugs targeting both asexual blood stage parasites and sexual stages of the avian malarias will be beneficial for malaria treatment and eradication. However, current drugs recommended for treatment of the avian malaria parasites target specifically the asexual blood stage parasites, but have little or no impact to the gametocytes, the major target for development of transmission-blocking strategies. In the present work, we established a simple procedure to evaluate gametocytocidal and transmission blocking activities in a P. gallinaceum-avian model. The assays involved administration of seven consecutive daily doses of test compounds into P. gallinaceum-infected chickens with 10% parasitaemia and 1% gametocytaemia. Our studies indicated that intramuscular injection with seven daily low doses (the minimum effective dose of 10mg/kg) of artesunate blocked the gametocyte production and transmission to the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti. This assay can be further applicable for testing new compounds against P. gallinaceum and for other parasitic protozoa infecting birds.
Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Rapeeporn
R
Kumnuan
Sittiporn
S
Pattaradilokrat
Kamlang
K
Chumpolbanchorn
Suntorn
S
Pimnon
Somphong
S
Narkpinit
Pongchai
P
Harnyuttanakorn
Tawee
T
Saiwichai
D000330:Aedes / Q000469:parasitology; D000818:Animals; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077332:Artesunate; D002645:Chickens; D005260:Female; D008289:Malaria, Avian / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D010964:Plasmodium gallinaceum / Q000187:drug effects*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D013995:Time
D037621:Artemisinins; D000077332:Artesunate
Anti-malarial compounds; Gametocytocide; In vivo transmission blocking assays