Antiplasmodial angiotensin II derivatives studies in vivo & in vitro

• Grant number: 15/08527-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2015
• End date: September 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Vani Xavier de Oliveira Junior
• Grantee: Adriana Farias da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The antiplasmodial activity of angiotensin II has been studied. Due to its vasoconstrictor properties this hormone cannot be used as an antimalarial drug. Previous works performed at Laboratório de Compostos Bioativos presented the obtainment of different angiotensin II derivatives aiming to understand the role of each amino acid residue and their interaction with the parasite membrane, as well as understand how restricted peptides act in the same model (Plasmodium gallinaceum sporozoites - avian infective form). This project focuses on the interactions of these peptides in Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites (human infective form), in order to verify that these peptides act as sporozoiticidal (preventive agent from the malaria initial stage). Also focuses on in vivo studies in Plasmodium berghei infected mice, since several peptides presented relevant activity on the erythrocytic cycle in Plasmodium falciparum infected blood. Labeled-peptides will also be synthesized in order to understand how the interaction of the peptide with the parasite membrane occurs (in vitro) by Confocal Microscopy and Flow Cytometry. We believe that further efforts and research should be made to promote this kind of chemotherapeutic to the antimalarial drugs progress.