title: Antiparasitic effects of oxymatrine and matrine against Toxoplasma gondii in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an important pathogen which can causes serious public health problems. Since the current therapeutic drugs for toxoplasmosis present serious host toxicity, research on effective and new substances of relatively low toxicity is urgently needed. This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-parasitic effect of oxymatrine (OM) and matrine (ME) against T. gondii in vitro and in vivo. In our study, the anti-T. gondii activities of ME and OM were evaluated in vitro using cell counting kit-8 assay, morphological observation and trypan blue exclusion assay. In vivo, mice were sacrificed four days post-infection and ascites were drawn out to determine the extent of tachyzoite proliferation. Viscera indexes and liver biochemical parameters, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA), were examined to evaluate the toxicity of compounds to mice. As a result, OM and ME showed anti-T. gondii activity but low selectivity toxicity to HeLa cells. Both compounds also significantly decreased the number of tachyzoites in peritoneal cavity and recovered the levels of ALT, AST, GSH and MDA in liver. Moreover, the mice treated with OM or ME achieved better results in viscera index and survival rate than that of spiramycin. These results suggest that OM and ME are likely the sources of new drugs for toxoplasmosis, and further studies will be necessary to compare the efficacy of drug combination, as well as identify its action of mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Natural Resources of the Changbai Mountain & Functional Molecules, Affiliated Ministry of Education, Yanbian University College of Pharmacy, Yanji 133002, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaochuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Natural Resources of the Changbai Mountain & Functional Molecules, Affiliated Ministry of Education, Yanbian University College of Pharmacy, Yanji 133002, PR China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Yanbian University, Hospital of Pharmacy, Yanji 133002, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Natural Resources of the Changbai Mountain & Functional Molecules, Affiliated Ministry of Education, Yanbian University College of Pharmacy, Yanji 133002, PR China.
authors.forename: Changhao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, PR China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Zoonosis Reserch Center, Wonkwang University, School of Medicine, 570-749, 344-2 Shinyong-Dong, Iksan, Jeonbuk, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Natural Resources of the Changbai Mountain & Functional Molecules, Affiliated Ministry of Education, Yanbian University College of Pharmacy, Yanji 133002, PR China. Electronic address: lijm@ybu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Natural Resources of the Changbai Mountain & Functional Molecules, Affiliated Ministry of Education, Yanbian University College of Pharmacy, Yanji 133002, PR China. Electronic address: cmjin@ybu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D011807:Quinolizines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D029909:Sophora / Q000737:chemistry; D015572:Spiramycin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000187:drug effects*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D000093842:Matrines
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011807:Quinolizines; D015572:Spiramycin; C037573:oxymatrine; D000093842:Matrines
keywords: Anti-Toxoplasma gondii effect; In vitro and in vivo; Matrine; Oxymatrine; Toxicity