title: Artemisone inhibits in vitro and in vivo propagation of Babesia bovis and B. bigemina parasites.
abstract: Artemisone was evaluated, in in vitro and in vivo, for control of bovine babesiosis caused by Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis parasites. In vitro, artemisone reduced parasitemia in a dose-dependent manner: the inhibitory effects increased gradually, reaching a maximum inhibition of 99.6% and 86.4% for B. bigemina and B. bovis, respectively 72 h after initiation of treatment with initial parasitemia of 0.5%. In calves infected with either B. bigemina or B. bovis artemisone treatment was well tolerated and prevented development of acute babesiosis in all animals except for one B. bovis-infected calf. The treatment did not eliminate all blood parasites, and recovered animals carried a persistent low-level infection. Treatment with artemisone may be useful as an alternative drug for preventing the pathology that results from babesiosis, without interfering with acquired immune protection following recovery from an acute babesiosis infection or vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, 50250 Bet Dagan, Israel. Electronic address: monica@int.gov.il.
authors.forename: Monica L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mazuz
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Golenser
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fish
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wollkomirsky
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leibovich
authors.forename: Varda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shkap
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001403:Babesia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D016793:Babesia bovis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D037621:Artemisinins; C514498:artemisone
keywords: Artemisinin; Artemisone; Babesia bigemina; Babesia bovis; Bovine babesiosis; Treatment