title: Flavonoids modulate the proliferation of Neospora caninum in glial cell primary cultures.
abstract: Neospora caninum (Apicomplexa; Sarcocystidae) is a protozoan that causes abortion in cattle, horses, sheep, and dogs as well as neurological and dermatological diseases in dogs. In the central nervous system of dogs infected with N. caninum, cysts were detected that exhibited gliosis and meningitis. Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds that exhibit antibacterial, antiparasitic, antifungal, and antiviral properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of flavonoids in a well-established in vitro model of N. caninum infection in glial cell cultures. Glial cells were treated individually with 10 different flavonoids, and a subset of cultures was also infected with the NC-1 strain of N. caninum. All of the flavonoids tested induced an increase in the metabolism of glial cells and many of them increased nitrite levels in cultures infected with NC-1 compared to controls and uninfected cultures. Among the flavonoids tested, 3',4'-dihydroxyflavone, 3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone (luteolin), and 3,3',4',5,6-pentahydroxyflavone (quercetin), also inhibited parasitophorous vacuole formation. Taken together, our findings show that flavonoids modulate glial cell responses, increase NO secretion, and interfere with N. caninum infection and proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, Vale do Canela, CEP 41100-100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosan Barbosa de
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, Vale do Canela, CEP 41100-100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Suzana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braga-de-Souza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, Vale do Canela, CEP 41100-100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Pena Seara
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Pitanga
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, Vale do Canela, CEP 41100-100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Victor Diógenes Amaral da
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, Vale do Canela, CEP 41100-100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Erica Etelvina Viana de
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Jesus
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias Ambientais e Biológicas, Campus da Universidade, CEP 44380-000, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre Morales
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, Vale do Canela, CEP 41100-100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima Dias
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, Vale do Canela, CEP 41100-100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ramon dos Santos
authors.initials: Rdos S
authors.lastname: El-Bacha
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, Vale do Canela, CEP 41100-100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cátia Suse de Oliveira
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia - UFBA, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n, Vale do Canela, CEP 41100-100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia Lima
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018688:Neospora / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000469:parasitology*; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D007155:Immunologic Factors
keywords: Neospora caninum; flavonoid; glia; nitric oxide (NO)