title: Curcumin Generates Oxidative Stress and Induces Apoptosis in Adult Schistosoma mansoni Worms.
abstract: Inducing apoptosis is an interesting therapeutic approach to develop drugs that act against helminthic parasites. Researchers have investigated how curcumin (CUR), a biologically active compound extracted from rhizomes of Curcuma longa, affects Schistosoma mansoni and several cancer cell lines. This study evaluates how CUR influences the induction of apoptosis and oxidative stress in couples of adult S. mansoni worms. CUR decreased the viability of adult worms and killed them. The tegument of the parasite suffered morphological changes, the mitochondria underwent alterations, and chromatin condensed. Different apoptotic parameters were determined in an attempt to understand how CUR affected adult S. mansoni worms. CUR induced DNA damage and fragmentation and increased the expression of SmCASP3/7 transcripts and the activity of Caspase 3 in female and male worms. However, CUR did not intensify the activity of Caspase 8 in female or male worms. Evaluation of the superoxide anion and different antioxidant enzymes helped to explore the mechanism of parasite death further. The level of superoxide anion and the activity of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) increased, whereas the activity of Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST), Glutathione reductase (GR), and Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) decreased, which culminated in the oxidation of proteins in adult female and male worms incubated with CUR. In conclusion, CUR generated oxidative stress followed by apoptotic-like-events in both adult female and male S. mansoni worms, ultimately killing them.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Universidade de Franca, Franca, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Paula Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Universidade de Franca, Franca, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mayara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunetto Moreira Moscardini
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Patos de Minas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Enyara
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rezende Morais
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Graciano de Paula
authors.affiliation: Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, UEI Medical Parasitology, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro Manuel
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, UEI Medical Parasitology, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal.|Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil.|Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.affiliation: Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, UEI Medical Parasitology, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física e Química, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomie Ouchida
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física e Química, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curti
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Universidade de Franca, Franca, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wilson Roberto
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanderlei
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Universidade de Franca, Franca, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lizandra Guidi
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2959-6752
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Magalhães
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000378:metabolism*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins; D013481:Superoxides; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D003474:Curcumin