Larval excretion/secretion of dipters of Lucilia cuprina species induces death in promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis.

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions of people around the world. Larval excretion/secretion (ES) of the larvae of flies of the Calliphoridae family has microbicidal activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, in addition to some species of Leishmania. Our study aimed at assessing the in vitro efficacy of Lucilia cuprina larval ES against the promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis, elucidating possible microbicidal mechanisms and routes of death involved. Larval ES was able to inhibit the viability of L. amazonensis at all concentrations, induce morphological and ultrastructural changes in the parasite, retraction of the cell body, roughness of the cytoplasmic membrane, leakage of intracellular content, ROS production increase, induction of membrane depolarization and mitochondrial swelling, the formation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets and phosphatidylserine exposure, thus indicating the possibility of apoptosis-like death. To verify the efficacy of larval ES on amastigote forms, we performed a phagocytic assay, measurement of total ROS and NO. Treatment using larval ES reduced the percentage of infection and the number of amastigotes per macrophage of lineage J774A.1 at all concentrations, increasing the production of ROS and TNF-α, thus indicating possible pro-inflammatory immunomodulation and oxidative damage. Therefore, treatment using larval ES is effective at inducing the death of promastigotes and amastigotes of L. amazonensis even at low concentrations.

• Authors: Ana Carolina Jacob Rodrigues, Bruna Taciane da Silva Bortoleti, Amanda Cristina Machado Carloto, Taylon Felipe Silva, Virgínia Márcia Concato, Manoela Daiele Gonçalves, Fernanda Tomiotto-Pelissier, Mariana Barbosa Detoni, Andrea Diaz-Roa, Pedro Ismael da Silva Júnior, Idessania Nazareth Costa, Ivete Conchon-Costa, Danielle Lazarin Bidoia, Milena Menegazzo Miranda-Sapla, Wander Rogério Pavanelli
• Journal: Pathogens and disease (Pathog Dis) Vol. 79 Issue 6 (08 10 2021) ISSN: 2049-632X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34347083 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected].

Chemical References

• Antiprotozoal Agents
• Reactive Oxygen Species

Topics

• Animals
• Antiprotozoal Agents (pharmacology)
• Biological Therapy (methods)
• Bodily Secretions (chemistry)
• Calliphoridae (chemistry)
• Cell Death (drug effects)
• Cell Line
• Cell Membrane (drug effects)
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Chlorocebus aethiops
• Humans
• Larva (chemistry)
• Leishmania (drug effects, metabolism)
• Leishmaniasis (therapy)
• Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial (drug effects)
• Reactive Oxygen Species (metabolism)
• Vero Cells