Effect of the Antimicrobial Peptide Tritrpticin on the In Vitro Viability and Growth of Trichomonas vaginalis

Antimicrobial peptides are widely distributed in nature; they play important roles in several aspects of innate immunity and may provide a basis for the design of novel therapeutic agents. In this study, C-amidated tritrpticin, a 13 amino acid tryptophan-rich antimicrobial peptide derived from a por...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current microbiology 2011, Vol.62 (1), p.301-306
Main Authors: Infante, Veronica V, Miranda-Olvera, Alma D, De Leon-Rodriguez, Luis M, Anaya-Velazquez, Fernando, Rodriguez, Mayra C, Avila, Eva E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino acids
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - pharmacology
Antiprotozoal Agents - pharmacology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biotechnology
Disease transmission
Drug Synergism
Female
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
Human immunodeficiency virus 1
Humans
Life Sciences
Metronidazole - pharmacology
Microbial Viability - drug effects
Microbiology
Oligopeptides - pharmacology
Parasites
Parasitic Sensitivity Tests
Peptides
Sexually transmitted diseases
Sodium Bicarbonate - pharmacology
STD
Trichomonas vaginalis
Trichomonas vaginalis - drug effects
Trichomonas vaginalis - growth & development
Trichomonas vaginalis - physiology
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Summary:Antimicrobial peptides are widely distributed in nature; they play important roles in several aspects of innate immunity and may provide a basis for the design of novel therapeutic agents. In this study, C-amidated tritrpticin, a 13 amino acid tryptophan-rich antimicrobial peptide derived from a porcine cathelicidin, was tested against Trichomonas vaginalis, a protozoan that causes a serious non-viral sexually transmitted disease associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, and high risk of HIV-1 infection. Tritrpticin was selected due to its reasonably easy synthesis and because analogs with lower toxicity may be designed. Our results show that tritrpticin-NH₂ at either 100 or 200 μg/ml (52.5 or 105 μM) clearly reduces the viability and growth of Trichomonas vaginalis. Together with tritrpticin-NH₂, sodium bicarbonate further limited trichomonad growth. Additionally, a low concentration of metronidazole (5.8 μM), the most commonly used medication for Trichomonas vaginalis, was more effective against the growth of the parasite when it was combined with tritrpticin-NH₂.
ISSN:0343-8651
1432-0991
DOI:10.1007/s00284-010-9709-z