RESUMEN
In the coming decades, eliminating malaria is the foremost goal of many tropical countries. Transmission control, along with an accurate and timely diagnosis of malaria, effective treatment and prevention are the different aspects that need to be met synchronously to accomplish the goal. The current review is focused on one of these aspects i.e., transmission control, by looking deeper into the event called gametogenesis. In the Plasmodium life cycle, gametocytes are the first life forms of the sexual phase. The transmission of the parasite and the disease is critically dependent on the number, viability and sex ratio of mature gametocytes and their further development inside mosquito vectors. Gametogenesis, the process of conversion of gametocytes into viable gametes, takes place inside the mosquito midgut, and is a tightly regulated event with fast and multiple rounds of DNA replication and diverse cellular changes going on within a short period. Interrupting the gametocyte-gamete transition is ought to restrict the successful transmission and progression of the disease and hence an area worth exploring for designing transmission-blocking strategies. This review summarizes an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of the biochemical and physiological mechanism of gametogenesis in Plasmodium, which could be targeted to control parasite and malaria transmission. This review also raises certain key questions regarding gametogenesis biology in Plasmodium and brings out gaps that still accompany in understanding the spectacular process of gametogenesis.
Asunto(s)
Culicidae , Malaria , Plasmodium , Animales , Culicidae/parasitología , Gametogénesis/genética , Estadios del Ciclo de Vida , Malaria/parasitologíaRESUMEN
Tungsten (W) and its compounds have emerged as a relatively new area of environmental health concern in the last decade. Tungsten is environmentally benign due to its increasing use in armour-piercing munitions and as a replacement for lead in other ammunition. It has also been identified in various hazardous waste sites and therefore been proposed for inclusion in the Environmental Protection Agency National Priorities List. The major objective of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of orally administered monoisoamyl 2, 3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (MiADMSA) against tungstate induced oxidative injury in blood, liver and kidneys of male Wistar rats. MiADMSA, a thiol chelator has gained wide recognition recently as a future chelating drug of choice specifically for arsenic and was chosen for this study as tungstate ions too have an affinity toward the -SH group thus, being less bioavailable in the body. We determined the effects of MiADMSA (50 mg/kg, p.o.) against sodium tungstate (500 ppm in drinking water, daily for 28 days) induced biochemical changes indicative of oxidative stress in blood, and other soft tissues of of male Wistar rats. Tungsten exposure led to an increased levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in liver, kidney, spleen and blood accompanied also by an increase in TBARS levels. The GSH: GSSG ratio also showed a decrease on sodium tungstate intoxication. Treatment with MiADMSA restored most of the sodium tungstate-induced alterations in the biomarkers suggestive of oxidative stress. These preliminary results led us to conclude that sub-acute exposure to tungstate-induced oxidative stress could be effectively reduced by the administration of MiADMSA and thus might be a promising antidote for studying in detail its efficacy in reducing body tungstate burden and its excretion post tungstate exposure.
Asunto(s)
Arsénico , Succímero , Animales , Masculino , Ratas , Antídotos/farmacología , Biomarcadores , Quelantes/farmacología , Disulfuro de Glutatión/farmacología , Estrés Oxidativo , Ratas Wistar , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno , Succímero/farmacología , Succímero/uso terapéutico , Sustancias Reactivas al Ácido Tiobarbitúrico , Tungsteno/efectos adversosRESUMEN
Tungsten has no known function in humans and is a relatively new contaminant, whereas molybdenum, its congener in the periodic table, is a nutritionally essential element. In addition to early studies on molybdosis in ruminants, their toxic effects in the form of tungstate and molybdate have been addressed primarily in rodents and are predominantly mediated by inducing oxidative stress in various tissues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences between tungstate and molybdate in human liver (HepG2) and kidney (HEK293) cell lines in terms of retention in cells, effect on reactive oxygen species, and activities of xanthine oxidase and phosphatases. The cell lines were exposed to tungstate or molybdate (1 µM to 10 mM) for 24 h, lysed and analyzed for the above biochemical parameters. Despite the chemical similarity of the two anions, cell-specific differential effects were observed. At all concentrations, tungstate was retained more in HEK293 cells while molybdate was retained more in HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells were more sensitive to tungstate than molybdate, showing reduced viability at concentrations as low as 10 µM. Exposure to either anion resulted in the inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases at 1 mM and an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at 100 µM despite their inhibition of the ROS-producing molybdenum enzyme xanthine oxidase. In conclusion, the results indicate that excess of nutritionally essential molybdate or non-essential tungstate causes toxicity by affecting ROS- and phosphorylation-dependent signaling pathways and ensuing gene expression.
Asunto(s)
Molibdeno , Compuestos de Tungsteno , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Riñón , Hígado , Molibdeno/toxicidad , Compuestos de Tungsteno/toxicidadRESUMEN
Tungsten, recognized recently as an environmental contaminant, is being used in arms and ammunitions as substitute to depleted uranium. We studied the effects of sodium tungstate on oxidative stress, few selected neurological variables like acetylcholinesterase, biogenic amines in rat brain regions (cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum) and their prevention following co-administration of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), naringenin and quercetin. Animals were sub-chronically exposed to sodium tungstate (100 ppm in drinking water) and orally co-supplemented with different antioxidants (0.30 mM) for three months. Sodium tungstate significantly decreased the activity of acetylcholinesterase, dopamine, nor-epinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels while it increased monoamine oxidase activity in different brain regions. Tungstate exposure produced a significant increase in biochemical variables indicative of oxidative stress while, neurological alterations were more pronounced in the cerebral cortex compared to other regions. Co-administration of NAC and flavonoids with sodium tungstate significantly restored glutathione, prevented changes in the brain biogenic amines, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and TBARS levels in the different brain regions. The protection was more prominent in the animals co-administered with NAC. We can thus conclude that sodium tungstate induced brain oxidative stress and the alterations in some neurological variables can effectively be reduced by co-supplementation of NAC.
Asunto(s)
Antioxidantes/farmacología , Encéfalo/efectos de los fármacos , Compuestos de Tungsteno/toxicidad , Acetilcolinesterasa/metabolismo , Acetilcisteína/farmacología , Administración Oral , Animales , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Dopamina/metabolismo , Flavanonas/farmacología , Glutatión Peroxidasa/metabolismo , Glutatión Transferasa/metabolismo , Masculino , Monoaminooxidasa/metabolismo , Neurotransmisores/metabolismo , Estrés Oxidativo/efectos de los fármacos , Ratas Wistar , Pruebas de Toxicidad Subcrónica/métodos , Compuestos de Tungsteno/administración & dosificaciónRESUMEN
Tungsten, due to its distinguished physical properties, has wide industrial and military applications. Environmental exposure to tungsten, which mainly occurs through various sources like food, water, soil, etc., is of growing concern as various toxic effects have recently been reported. In this study, we investigated the effects of oral and intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of sodium tungstate on various biochemical variables indicative of oxidative stress in erythrocytes and soft tissue damage in rats. Male rats were administered to 119 mg, 238 mg/kg of sodium tungstate orally or 20 mg and 41 mg/kg through i.p. route, for 14 consecutive days. The results demonstrated a significant increase in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and an increase in catalase and glutathione peroxidase antioxidant enzymes activities in erythrocytes. Erythrocyte glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity showed significant inhibition, while tissue ROS and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels increased accompanied by a decreased reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione (GSH:GSSG) ratio. These changes were supported by an increase in plasma transaminases activities, creatinine, and urea levels, suggesting hepatic and renal injury. These biochemical alterations were prominent in rats intraperitoneally administrated with sodium tungstate than oral administration, suggesting more pronounced toxicity. The study also suggests oxidative stress as one of the major mechanism involved in the toxic manifestations of sodium tungstate.