Oxidative and nitrosative stresses in cerebral malaria: can we target them to avoid a bad prognosis?

Author(s)

Santos Pereira, Domingos Magno ^[1] ; Carvalho Junior, Alexsander Rodrigues ^[1] ; da Costa Brito Lacerda, Eliza Maria ^[1] ; Nascimento da Silva, Luis Claudio ^[1] ; Farias Marinho, Claudio Romero ^[2] ; Andre, Eunice ^[3] ; Fernandes, Elizabeth Soares ^{[1, 4, 5]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ CEUMA, Programa Posgrad, Sao Luis, MA - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Parasitol, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Parana, Dept Farmacol, Curitiba, Parana - Brazil

^[4] Inst Pesquisa Pele Pequeno Principe, Curitiba, Parana - Brazil

^[5] Fac Pequeno Principe, Curitiba, Parana - Brazil

• Document type: Review article
• Source: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy; v. 75, n. 6, p. 1363-1373, JUN 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

There is currently a global effort to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality. However, malaria still results in the deaths of thousands of people every year. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium spp., parasites transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Treatment timing plays a decisive role in reducing mortality and sequelae associated with the severe forms of the disease such as cerebral malaria (CM). The available antimalarial therapy is considered effective but parasite resistance to these drugs has been observed in some countries. Antimalarial drugs act by increasing parasite lysis, especially through targeting oxidative stress pathways. Here we discuss the roles of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen intermediates in CM as a result of host-parasite interactions. We also present evidence of the potential contribution of oxidative and nitrosative stress-based antimalarial drugs to disease treatment and control. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/20468-0 - Recrudescence of the malaria during pregnancy: effects and mechanisms
• Grantee: Cláudio Romero Farias Marinho
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants