In vitro antiproliferative effects of neuroleptics, antimycotics and antibiotics on the human pathogens Acanthamoeba polyphaga and Naegleria fowleri.

Background: Using reproducible conditions in vitro, the aim of this study was to obtain a comparative evaluation of the efficacies of several tricyclic neuroleptics, antimycotics and antibiotics with antiproliferative activities against Acanthamoeba polyphaga and Naegleria fowleri trophozoites.

Methods: We used reproducible conditions in vitro to obtain results.

Results: In the case of A.

The effects by neuroleptics, antimycotics and antibiotics on disulfide reducing enzymes from the human pathogens Acanthamoeba polyphaga and Naegleria fowleri.

This paper discusses the effects of two neuroleptic agents, chlorpromazine and trifluoperazine; three antimycotics, amphotericin B, ketoconazole and miconazole and four antibiotics, pentamidine, rifampicin, mepacrine and metronidazole on the NADPH-dependent disulfide reducing enzymes cystine reductase (CysR), glutathione reductase (GR) trypanothione reductase (TR) and a putative disulfide reductase for compound X in Acanthamoeba polyphaga from the human pathogens A. polyphaga and Naegleria fowleri. Against A.

Naegleria fowleri: a free-living highly pathogenic amoeba contains trypanothione/trypanothione reductase and glutathione/glutathione reductase systems.

This paper presents definitive data showing that the thiol-bimane compound isolated and purified by HPLC from Naegleria fowleri trophozoites unequivocally corresponds by matrix assisted laser-desorption ionization-time-of-flight MS, to the characteristic monoprotonated ion of trypanothione-(bimane)(2) [M(+)H(+)] of m/z 1104.57 and to the trypanothione-(bimane) of m/z 914.46.

Identification of trypanothione from the human pathogen Entamoeba histolytica by mass spectrometry and chemical analysis.

In this paper, we present definitive data to show, from ESI (electrospray ionization) studies, that the thiol-bimane compound isolated and purified from Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites, corresponds unequivocally to the structure of trypanothione. Trypanothione disulphide was shown to have a molecular ion of m/z 722. It was further demonstrated by MALDI-TOF (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight) MS that this thiol compound also corresponds to the characteristic monoprotonated ion of trypanothione-(bimane)(2), which has a molecular ion of m/z 1103.

Trypanothione reductase from the human parasite Entamoeba histolytica: a new drug target.

Although there is a general agreement that the protist Entamoeba histolytica lacks glutathione, it has been a matter of dispute as to whether this human parasite contains the glutathione derivative known as trypanothione. In the present study, we describe a gene for the TR (trypanothione reductase) obtained from E. histolytica by PCR amplification of its DNA.

Low-molecular-mass thiol compounds from a free-living highly pathogenic amoeba, Naegleria fowleri.

Acid extracts labelled with the fluorescent reagent monobromobimane and separated by HPLC have enabled the detection of low-molecular-mass thiol compounds in Naegleria fowleri for the first time. The amounts detected are expressed in nmol/1 x 10(6) trophozoites cultivated at various stages of growth in the appropriate culture medium. N.

Thiol compounds from a free-living pathogenic opportunistic amoeba, Acanthamoeba polyphaga.

New bimane-reacting compounds from perchloric acid extracts have been detected by HPLC from Acanthamoeba polyphaga. The main compounds detected are cysteine, glutathione and other novel thiol compounds. All of these compounds must be thiols, since they disappear or decrease substantially when treated by N -ethylmaleimide prior to acetonitrile/bimane derivatization.