The superior efficacy of chloroquine over buparvaquone in reducing the chronic cerebral Toxoplasma gondii cysts load and improving the ultrastructural pathology in an immunocompromised murine model

Theodor Bilharz Research Institute

Bibliographic Information

Authors: Fahmy M.E.A.; Abdel-Aal A.A.; Hassan S.I.; Shalaby M.A.; Esmat M.; Abdel Shafi I.R.; Afife A.A.; Shaheen H.A.A.

Journal: Tropical Biomedicine

Publisher: Malaysian Society for Parasitology

Publication Date: 31 March 2023

Volume / Issue: Volume 40 / Issue 1

Pages: 115–123

ISSN: 1275720

DOI: 10.47665/tb.40.1.018

Scopus: View on Scopus

PubMed: 37356011

Document Type: Article

Access: All Open Access; Bronze Open Access

Authors and Affiliations

Fahmy M.E.A., Medical Parasitology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Giza, Egypt; Abdel-Aal A.A., Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt, Department of Postgraduate Studies & Scientific Research, Armed Forces College of Medicine (AFCM), Cairo, Egypt; Hassan S.I., Medical Parasitology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Giza, Egypt; Shalaby M.A., Medical Parasitology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Giza, Egypt; Esmat M., Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th October city, Egypt; Abdel Shafi I.R., Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt; Afife A.A., College of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Leicester University, United Kingdom; Shaheen H.A.A., Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii, the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, infects about 30 – 50% of the world population. The currently available anti-Toxoplasma agents have serious limitations. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of two antimalarials; buparvaquone (BPQ) and chloroquine (CQ), on immunocompromised mice with chronic cerebral toxoplasmosis, using spiramycin as a reference drug. The assessed parameters included the estimation of mortality rates (MR) among mice of the different study groups, in addition to the examination of the ultrastructural changes in the brain tissues by transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that only CQ treatment could decrease the MR significantly with zero deaths, while both spiramycin and BPQ caused an insignificant reduction of MR compared to the infected non-treated group. All the used drugs decreased the number of mature ruptured cysts significantly compared to the infected non-treated group, while only CQ increased the number of atrophic and necrotic cysts significantly. Furthermore, both spiramycin and BPQ improved the microvasculopathy and neurodegeneration accompanying the infection with different degrees of reactive astrocytosis and neuronal damage with the best results regarding the repair of the microvascular damage with less active glial cells, and normal neurons in the CQ-treated group. In conclusion, this study sheds light on CQ and its excellent impact on treating chronic cerebral toxoplasmosis in an immunocompromised mouse model. © 2023, Malaysian Society for Parasitology. All rights reserved.

Keywords

antimalarials; buparvaquone; Cerebral toxoplasmosis; chloroquine; immunocompromised mice; Animals; Cysts; Disease Models, Animal; Mice; Spiramycin; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis, Animal; Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral; animal; animal toxoplasmosis; cyst; disease model; mouse

Citation Information

Scopus Citations: 3

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