TREATMENT WITH AGMATINE INHIBITS CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM INFECTION IN INFANT MICE

Cryptosporidium parvum is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes enteric infection and diarrhea in a wide range of mammalian hosts, including humans and economically important livestock species. There are no effective vaccines or drug treatments available for cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of parasitology 2001-02, Vol.87 (1), p.211-213
Main Authors: Moore, Danielle, Waters, W. Ray, Wannemuehler, Michael J, Harp, James A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agmatine - pharmacology
Agmatine - therapeutic use
Animals
Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents
Antiparasitic agents
Biological and medical sciences
Cecum
Coccidiostats - pharmacology
Coccidiostats - therapeutic use
Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidiosis - drug therapy
Cryptosporidiosis - parasitology
Cryptosporidium parvum - drug effects
Cryptosporidium parvum - growth & development
Cryptosporidium parvum - metabolism
Ileum
Infections
Medical sciences
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Oocysts
Parasite hosts
Parasites
Parasitology
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Polyamines
THERAPEUTICS-DIAGNOSTICS
Virulence
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Summary:Cryptosporidium parvum is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes enteric infection and diarrhea in a wide range of mammalian hosts, including humans and economically important livestock species. There are no effective vaccines or drug treatments available for cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidium parvum utilizes a unique metabolic pathway for the synthesis of polyamines, forming agmatine as an intermediary metabolite. We treated infant mice with oral doses of agmatine for 2 days before, the day of, and 5 days following experimental infection with C. parvum. Mice treated with agmatine were significantly less infected with C. parvum than were control mice receiving phosphate-buffered saline. Mice treated with agmatine only on the day of experimental infection with C. parvum were also significantly less infected than were control mice. These data suggest that exogenous agmatine alters the metabolism of C. parvum sufficient to interfere with its ability to colonize the mammalian intestine.
ISSN:0022-3395
1937-2345
DOI:10.1645/0022-3395(2001)087[0211:TWAICP]2.0.CO;2