title: Additional evidence of the trypanocidal action of (-)-elatol on amastigote forms through the involvement of reactive oxygen species.
abstract: Chagas' disease, a vector-transmitted infectious disease, is caused by the protozoa parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Drugs that are currently available for the treatment of this disease are unsatisfactory, making the search for new chemotherapeutic agents a priority. We recently described the trypanocidal action of (-)-elatol, extracted from the macroalga Laurencia dendroidea. However, nothing has been described about the mechanism of action of this compound on amastigotes that are involved in the chronic phase of Chagas' disease. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of (-)-elatol on the formation of superoxide anions (O2•-), DNA fragmentation, and autophagy in amastigotes of T. cruzi to elucidate the possible mechanism of the trypanocidal action of (-)-elatol. Treatment of the amastigotes with (-)-elatol increased the formation of O2•- at all concentrations of (-)-elatol assayed compared with untreated parasites. Increased fluorescence was observed in parasites treated with (-)-elatol, indicating DNA fragmentation and the formation of autophagic compartments. The results suggest that the trypanocidal action of (-)-elatol might involve the induction of the autophagic and apoptotic death pathways triggered by an imbalance of the parasite's redox metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Maringa, Colombo Avenue 5790, Maringa, Parana CEP 87020-900, Brazil. vaniadesoti@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vânia Cristina
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Desoti
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Maringa, Colombo Avenue 5790, Maringa, Parana CEP 87020-900, Brazil. dani.lazarin@bol.com.br.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lazarin-Bidóia
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology, Federal Fluminense University, P.O. Box 100644, Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro CEP 24001-970, Brazil. dbsudatti@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Daniela Bueno
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Sudatti
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology, Federal Fluminense University, P.O. Box 100644, Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro CEP 24001-970, Brazil. rcrespo@id.uff.br.
authors.forename: Renato Crespo
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Maringa, Colombo Avenue 5790, Maringa, Parana CEP 87020-900, Brazil. tunakamura@uem.br.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda-Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Maringa, Colombo Avenue 5790, Maringa, Parana CEP 87020-900, Brazil. cvnakamura@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Celso Vataru
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Maringa, Colombo Avenue 5790, Maringa, Parana CEP 87020-900, Brazil. lautenschlager@uem.br.
authors.forename: Sueli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D044722:Laurencia / Q000737:chemistry; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013141:Spiro Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013141:Spiro Compounds; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D013481:Superoxides; C485576:elatol