Antiprotozoal activity of auranofin on Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania tropica and Toxoplasma gondii: in vitro and ex vivo study

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 117; no. 10; pp. 733 - 740
• Main Authors: Yıldırım, Ahmet, Özbilgin, Ahmet, Yereli, Kor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 03.10.2023
• Subjects: Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents - pharmacology; Antiprotozoal Agents - therapeutic use; Auranofin - pharmacology; Auranofin - therapeutic use; Chagas Disease - parasitology; Chlorocebus aethiops; Humans; Leishmania tropica; Leishmaniasis; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Trypanosoma cruzi; Vero Cells; auranofin; antiprotozoal activity; Leishmania tropica; Toxoplasma gondii; Trypanosoma cruzi
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trad040

ABSTRACT Background Three obligate intracellular protozoan parasite species, which are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality and settle in macrophage cells, affect more than one-half of the world's population, namely, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania tropica and Toxoplasma gondii, which are causative agents of Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and toxoplasmosis, respectively. In the current study, it was aimed to investigate the in vitro and ex vivo antiprotozoal activity of auranofin on T. cruzi, L. tropica and T. gondii. Methods The in vitro drug efficacy (IC50) of auranofin was investigated by haemocytometry and the CellTiter-Glo assay methods and the ex vivo drug efficacy (IC50) by light microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained slides. Also, the cytotoxic activity (CC50) of auranofin was examined by the CellTiter-Glo assay. The selectivity index (SI) was calculated for auranofin. Results According to IC50, CC50 and SI data, auranofin did not exhibit cytotoxic activity on Vero cells, but exhibited antiprotozoal activity on epimastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of T. cruzi, promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of L. tropica and intracellular tachyzoites of T. gondii (p<0.05). Conclusions The detection antiprotozoal activity of auranofin on T. cruzi, L. tropica and T. gondii according to the IC50, CC50 and SI values is considered an important and promising development. This is significant because auranofin may be an effective alternative treatment for Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and toxoplasmosis in the future.