Full text
| |
| Author(s): |
Marcele Fontenelle Bastos
Total Authors: 1
|
| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia |
| Defense date: | 2011-04-03 |
| Examining board members: |
Fabio Trindade Maranhão Costa;
Claudio Romero Farias Marinho;
Alessandro dos Santos Farias
|
| Advisor: | Fabio Trindade Maranhão Costa |
| Abstract | |
Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (Pf-EIs) in the microvasculature of several organs involves a sequence of events that contributes to the pathogenesis of severe malaria. Despite treatment with effective antimalarial drugs, significant mortality is still observed in severe cases of disease, particularly within 24 hours of hospital admission. It is believed that the use of anti-adhesive therapies in this period could reduce complications caused by P. falciparum. Accordingly,sulfated polysaccharides such as heparin and chondroitin sufate A (CSA) have shown ability to inhibit the cytoadherence of Pf-EIs to endothelial receptors. Although heparin was used in the past as treatment for severe malaria, its use was discontinued due to the occurrence of serious side effects such as bleeding. Moreover, given that these compounds are obtained from mammals, potential risk of contamination has to be considered. In fact, although many compounds have been tested, none demonstrated unequivocal evidence of improvement in clinical trials for prevention and treatment of severe malaria. The fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (FucCS) is a highly sulfated polysaccharide extracted from sea cucumber Ludwigothurea grisea, composed of a chondroitin sulfate backbone substituted at the 3-position of the ß-D-glucuronic acid residues with sulfated fucose branches. In this study, we show that FucCS presents low toxicity and is a potent inhibitor of parasite cytoadherence in human lung endothelial cells (HLEC) and reinvasion of erythrocytes by P. falciparum merozoites. In both cases, inhibition occurs in a concentration-dependent manner, and the compound showed to be effective in inhibiting different parasite phenotypes. Removal of the sulfated fucose branches on the FucCS practically abolished the inhibitory effect, suggesting a central role played by these branches in the occurrence of the inhibitory process. The compound also showed ability to reverse parasite cytoadhesion under flow conditions. Furthermore, treatment with FucCS at 1 mg/kg/animal/day improved survival of C57BL/6 ice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA), an experimental model for cerebral malaria. Thus, we suggest FucCS as a promising candidate for adjunct therapy in the treatment of severe malaria and in prevention of severe malaria outcomes (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 09/01618-2 - EFFECTS OF FUCOSYLATED CHONDROITIN SULFATE IN MALARIA |
| Grantee: | Marcele Fontenelle Bastos |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Master |