In vitro antiprotozoal effects of artemisinin on Neospora caninum

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology 2002-01, Vol.103 (1), p.53-63
• Main Authors: Kim, Jong-Tai, Park, Jong-Yeol, Seo, Hun-Su, Oh, Hwa-Gyun, Noh, Jae-Wuk, Kim, Jae-Hoon, Kim, Dae-Yong, Youn, Hee-Jeong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antimalarials - pharmacology; Artemisinin; Artemisinins; Cells, Cultured; Cercopithecus aethiops; Coccidiosis - drug therapy; Coccidiosis - veterinary; Coccidiostats - pharmacology; Culture Media; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Intracellular multiplication; Macrophages, Peritoneal - parasitology; Mice; Neospora - drug effects; Neospora - growth & development; Neospora caninum; Sesquiterpenes - pharmacology; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vero Cells
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-4017(01)00580-5

Neospora caninum is an intracellular apicomplexan parasite that infects a wide range of mammals and has been associated with abortion in cattle worldwide. Artemisinin is an effective antimalarial compound derived from a traditional Chinese herbal remedy, qinghao or Artemisia annua L. In the study reported, the cultured host cells (vero cells or mouse peritoneal macrophages) infected with N. caninum tachyzoites were incubated with α-MEM (minimal essential medium) 10%HS supplemented with various concentration or artemisinin (20, 10, 1, 0.1 and 0.01 μg/ml) to examine the efficacy of artemisinin against N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication. In long-term studies, at 20 or 10 μg/ml for 11 days, artemisinin reduced N. caninum and completely eliminated all microscopic foci of N. caninum. At 1 μg/ml for 14 days, artemisinin reduced N. caninum and completely achieved elimination of all microscopic foci of N. caninum. There was no apparent toxicity to host cells in long-term studies. In short-term studies, at ≥0.1 μg/ml, artemisinin reduced N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication, significantly ( P