Azithromycin is able to control Toxoplasma gondii infection in human villous explants

Journal of Translational Medicine

Eloisa A V Ferro³  José R Mineo⁴  Maria C Santos¹  Olindo A Martins-Filho²  Deise A O Silva⁴  Celene M O S Alves³  Angelica O Gomes³  Neide M Silva⁴  Mariana B Angeloni³  Bellisa F Barbosa³  Letícia S Castro-Filice³ 

[1] Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil;Laboratory of Chagas Disease, René Rachou Research Center, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG 30190-002, Brazil;Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia, MG 38400-902, Brazil;Laboratory of Immunopathology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia, MG 38400-902, Brazil

关键词: Toxoplasma gondii;    Sex hormones;    Cytokines;    Trophoblast;    Human placental villi;    Azithromycin;   

Others  :  812493
DOI  :  10.1186/1479-5876-12-132

 received in 2013-12-19, accepted in 2014-05-14,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Although Toxoplasma gondii infection is normally asymptomatic, severe cases of toxoplasmosis may occur in immunosuppressed patients or congenitally infected newborns. When a fetal infection is established, the recommended treatment is a combination of pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine and folinic acid (PSA). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of azithromycin to control T. gondii infection in human villous explants.

Methods

Cultures of third trimester human villous explants were infected with T. gondii and simultaneously treated with either PSA or azithromycin. Proliferation of T. gondii, as well as production of cytokines and hormones by chorionic villous explants, was analyzed.

Results

Treatment with either azithromycin or PSA was able to control T. gondii infection in villous explants. After azithromycin or PSA treatment, TNF-α, IL-17A or TGF-β1 levels secreted by infected villous explants did not present significant differences. However, PSA-treated villous explants had decreased levels of IL-10 and increased IL-12 levels, while treatment with azithromycin increased production of IL-6. Additionally, T. gondii-infected villous explants increased secretion of estradiol, progesterone and HCG + β, while treatments with azithromycin or PSA reduced secretion of these hormones concurrently with decrease of parasite load.

Conclusions

In conclusion, these results suggest that azithromycin may be defined as an effective alternative drug to control T. gondii infection at the fetal-maternal interface.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Castro-Filice et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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