Research Articles

Effects of artesunate, dihydroartemisinin, and an artesunate-dihydroartemisinin combination against Toxoplasma gondii

The effect of artesunate and its metabolite dihydroartemisinin against the cerebral cysts of Toxoplasma gondii was studied. In vitro experiments were performed with the THP-1 cell line and showed an inhibition of parasite growth of approximately 70% with 0.1-0.5 microg/ml of dihydroartemisinin for 96 hr. However, with artesunate, dihydroartemisinin, or a combination (50:50) of them, the number of tachyzoites decreased approximately 40-50% and they appeared motionless. Fifty-eight to 72 hr after washing of the tachyzoites and THP-1 cells in culture, parasitized cells reappeared. In vivo, the 50:50 artesunate-dihydroartemisinin combination produced a decrease in cerebral cysts of approximately 40% after only 5 days of treatment. However, transplantations into naive mice using brains of treated mice gave positive results.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Nagamune, S. N. J. Moreno, and L. D. Sibley Artemisinin-Resistant Mutants of Toxoplasma gondii Have Altered Calcium Homeostasis Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., November 1, 2007; 51(11): 3816 - 3823. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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