Characterization of Mechanism of cell death potentially induced by a binuclear antileishmanial cyclopalladated CP2: a contribution to the rational drug development

• Grant number: 16/19289-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: February 01, 2018
• End date: May 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Marcia Aparecida Silva Graminha
• Grantee: Angela Maria Arenas Velásquez
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/21661-1 - New insight into the mechanism of action of CP2 in Leishmania: analysis of calcium homeostasis and the respiratory chain, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Leishmaniasis, caused by more than 20 different species of protozoan Leishmania, areconsidered a serious public health problem in Brazil as well as worldwide. The limitedavailability of drugs for the treatment of this parasitic disease together with all side effectsand the emergence of resistant strains strength the importance of focus the research on thediscovery and development of new antileishmanial molecules. Several metal complexesanalogues of cisplatin, which are used as chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer,have been developed to be used on the battle against trypanosomiasis, mainly because of themany similarities presented in different metabolic pathways. Despite the fact that metalcompounds are usually associated with several side effects, the cyclopalladated derivativeherein studied present high thermodynamic and kinetic stability for the formation of a stablechelate causing reduction in the molecule toxicity. In our previous study, we reported thatthe binuclear cyclopalladated, [Pd(dmba)(µ-N3)]2 (CP2) (Velásquez et al., submitted forpublication), was active against intracellular amastigotes of L. amanzonensis and T. cruzi,the causing agents of cutaneous/mucocutaneous leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease,respectively. Additionally, CP2 did not show cytotoxicity when assayed in murine peritonealmacrophages and high selectivity to the intracellular amastigotes of L. amazonensis (SI =49,90) and T. cruzi (SI = 224,88). According to the analysis of biochemical markers for renaland liver function, CP2 in in vivo assay, using L. amazonensis BALB/c-infected mice, didnot present toxicity and was able to cause a reduction of 80% in the parasite load, promisingand comparable to amphotericin B, the drug currently used in the treatment of leishmaniasis.Regarding its mechanism of action, our data showed that CP2 is able to inhibit the parasiteDNA topoisomerase 1B. Thus, in order to further contribute to the characterization of the molecular events generated in cascade in the parasite after inhibition of its DNATopoisomerase.

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LOPERA, A. A.; VELASQUEZ, A. M. A.; CLEMENTINO, L. C.; ROBLEDO, S.; MONTOYA, A.; DE FREITAS, L. M.; BEZZON, V. D. N.; FONTANA, C. R.; GARCIA, C.; GRAMINHA, M. A. S.. Solution-combustion synthesis of doped TiO2 compounds and its potential antileishmanial activity mediated by photodynamic therapy. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY, v. 183, p. 64-74, JUN 2018. (17/03552-5, 16/05345-4, 16/19289-9, 14/24581-5, 13/08248-1)

VELASQUEZ, ANGELA M. A.; BARTLETT, PAULA J.; LINARES, IRWIN A. P.; PASSALACQUA, THAIS G.; TEODORO, DAPHNE D. L.; IMAMURA, KELY B.; VIRGILIO, STELA; TOSI, LUIZ R. O.; LEITE, ALINE DE LIMA; BUZALAF, MARILIA A. R.; et al. ew Insights into the Mechanism of Action of the Cyclopalladated Complex (CP2) in Leishmania: Calcium Dysregulation, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Cell Deat. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, v. 66, n. 1, JAN 2022. (16/18191-5, 16/05345-4, 18/23015-7, 20/04415-4, 17/03552-5, 16/19289-9, 19/21661-1)

LOPERA SEPULVEDA, ALEX ARBEY; ARENAS VELASQUEZ, ANGELA MARIA; PATINO LINARES, IRWIN ALEXANDER; DE ALMEIDA, LETICIA; FONTANA, CARLA RAQUEL; GARCIA, CLAUDIA; SILVA GRAMINHA, MARCIA APARECIDA. Efficacy of photodynamic therapy using TiO2 nanoparticles doped with Zn and hypericin in the treatment of cutaneous Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania amazonensis. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, v. 30, JUN 2020. (16/05345-4, 17/03552-5, 16/19289-9, 18/23015-7)

LINARES, IRWIN A. P.; URIA, MARICELY SANCHEZ; GRAMINHA, MARCIA A. S.; IGLESIAS, BERNARDO ALMEIDA; VELASQUEZ, ANGELA M. A.. Antileishmanial activity of tetra-cationic porphyrins with peripheral Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes mediated by photodynamic therapy. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, v. 42, p. 10-pg., 2023-06-13. (18/23015-7, 20/04415-4, 16/19289-9)

DO ESPIRITO SANTO, RAFAEL DIAS; ARENAS VELASQUEZ, ANGELA MARIA; GUSHIKEN PASSIANOTO, LUANA VITORINO; LOPERA SEPULVEDA, ALEX ARBEY; CLEMENTINO, LEANDRO DA COSTA; ASSIS, RENATA PIRES; BAVIERA, AMANDA MARTINS; KALABA, PREDRAG; DOS SANTOS, FABIO NEVES; EBERLIN, MARCOS NOGUEIRA; et al. N, N ', N ''-trisubstituted guanidines: Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of their leishmanicidal activity. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY, v. 171, p. 13-pg., 2019-06-01. (13/24487-6, 17/03552-5, 13/08248-1, 16/19289-9)

DO ESPIRITO SANTO, RAFAEL DIAS; ARENAS VELASQUEZ, ANGELA MARIA; GUSHIKEN PASSIANOTO, LUANA VITORINO; LOPERA SEPULVEDA, ALEX ARBEY; CLEMENTINO, LEANDRO DA COSTA; ASSIS, RENATA PIRES; BAVIERA, AMANDA MARTINS; KALABA, PREDRAG; DOS SANTOS, FABIO NEVES; EBERLIN, MARCOS NOGUEIRA; et al. N, N `, N `'-trisubstituted guanidines: Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of their leishmanicidal activity. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY, v. 171, p. 116-128, JUN 1 2019. (13/24487-6, 17/03552-5, 16/19289-9, 13/08248-1)

MOREIRA, VITOR PARTITE; DA SILVA MELA, MICHELE FERREIRA; DOS ANJOS, LUANA RIBEIRO; SARAIVA, LEONARDO FIGUEIREDO; VELASQUEZ, ANGELA M. ARENAS; KALABA, PREDRAG; FABISIKOVA, ANNA; CLEMENTINO, LEANDRO DA COSTA; AUFY, MOHAMMED; STUDENIK, CHRISTIAN; et al. Novel Selective and Low-Toxic Inhibitor of LmCPB2.8 Delta CTE (CPB) One Important Cysteine Protease for Leishmania Virulence. BIOMOLECULES, v. 12, n. 12, p. 21-pg., 2022-12-01. (18/00581-7, 20/04415-4, 16/19289-9, 17/03552-5, 18/23015-7, 21/02595-8)