MARIA CRISTINA CARVALHO DO ESPIRITO SANTO
Projetos de Pesquisa
Unidades Organizacionais
LIM/06 - Laboratório de Imunopatologia da Esquistossomose e outras Parasitoses, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina
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- Characterization of subtypes of Blastocystis sp. isolated from patients with urticaria, Sao Paulo, Brazil(2019) MELO, Gessica Baptista de; MALTA, Fernanda de Mello; MARUTA, Celina Wakisaka; CRIADO, Paulo Ricardo; CASTILHO, Vera Lucia Pagliusi; GONCALVES, Elenice Messias do Nascimento; ESPIRITO-SANTO, Maria Cristina de Carvalho do; PAULA, Fabiana Martins de; GRYSCHEK, Ronaldo Cesar BorgesBlastocystis sp. is described as an enteric protist prevalent in fecal samples from humans and animals; its pathogenicity and epidemiology are still controversial. Currently, it has been associated with intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome and clinical manifestations of allergic skin, such as chronic urticaria. In the context of urticaria, it is still uncertain whether this organism is directly related to the allergic manifestation or just a common component of the intestinal microbiota. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence and molecular diversity of Blastocystis sp. in individuals with urticaria from a dermatology outpatient clinic, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Fecal samples of 58 patients with urticaria were examined using parasitological methods; and subsequently tested by polymerase chain reaction using Blastocystis-specific primers. The subtypes (STs) and alleles (a) were determined using BLASTn and MLST tools. ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST6 and mixed infection (ST1 + ST3) were identified in the patients with urticaria; ST1 (a4), ST3 (a34 and a36) and ST4 (a42) were the most prevalent. Our molecular analyses allowed an initial description of Blastocystis subtypes in patients with urticaria from Sao Paulo city, Brazil. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of World Federation of Parasitologists.
- The Existing Drug Nifuroxazide as an Antischistosomal Agent: In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Studies of Macromolecular Targets(2023) ROQUINI, Vinicius; MENGARDA, Ana C. C.; CAJAS, Rayssa A. A.; MARTINS-DA-SILVA, Milene F. F.; GODOY-SILVA, Julia; SANTOS, Gustavo A. A.; ESPIRITO-SANTO, Maria Cristina C.; PAVANI, Thais F. A.; MELO, Vanusa A. A.; SALVADORI, Maria C. C.; TEIXEIRA, Fernanda S. S.; RANDO, Daniela G. G.; MORAES, Josue deSchistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that afflicts approximately 250 million people worldwide. There is an urgent demand for new antiparasitic agents because praziquantel, the only drug available for the treatment of schistosomiasis, is not universally effective and may derail current progress toward the WHO goal of eliminating this disease as a public health problem by 2030. Nifuroxazide (NFZ), an oral nitrofuran antibiotic, has recently been explored to be repurposed for parasitic diseases. Here, in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies were conducted to evaluate the activity of NFZ on Schistosoma mansoni. The in vitro study showed significant antiparasitic activity, with 50% effective concentration (EC50) and 90% effective concentration (EC90) values of 8.2 to 10.8 and 13.7 to 19.3 mu M, respectively. NFZ also affected worm pairing and egg production and induced severe damage to the tegument of schistosomes. In vivo, a single oral dose of NFZ (400 mg/kg of body weight) to mice harboring either prepatent or patent S. mansoni infection significantly reduced the total worm burden (similar to 40%). In patent infection, NFZ achieved a high reduction in the number of eggs (similar to 80%), but the drug caused a low reduction in the egg burden of animals with prepatent infection. Finally, results from in silico target fishing methods predicted that serine/threonine kinases could be one of the potential targets for NFZ in S. mansoni. Overall, the present study revealed that NFZ possesses antischistosomal properties, mainly in terms of egg burden reduction in animals with patent S. mansoni infection. IMPORTANCE The increasing recognition of the burden imposed by helminthiasis, associated with the limited therapeutic arsenal, has led to initiatives and strategies to research and develop new drugs for the treatment of schistosomiasis. One of these strategies is drug repurposing, which considers low-risk compounds with potentially reduced costs and shorter time for development. In this study, nifuroxazide (NFZ) was evaluated for its anti-Schistosoma mansoni potential through in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies. In vitro, NFZ affected worm pairing and egg production and induced severe damage to the tegument of schistosomes. In vivo, a single oral dose of NFZ (400 mg/kg) to mice harboring either prepatent or patent S. mansoni infection significantly reduced the total worm burden and egg production. In silico investigations have identified serine/threonine kinases as a molecular target for NFZ. Collectively, these results implied that NFZ might be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of schistosomiasis.
- Enhancing the antischistosomal activity of carvacryl acetate using nanoemulsion(2023) SOUZA, Rafael L. de; MENGARDA, Ana C.; ROQUINI, Daniel B.; MELO, Camila O.; MORAIS, Mayara C. de; ESPIRITO-SANTO, Maria Cristina; SOUSA, Damiao P. de; MORAES, Josue de; OLIVEIRA, Elquio E.Aim: To formulate a carvacryl acetate nanoemulsion (CANE) and test its antischistosomal activity. Materials & methods: CANE was prepared and tested in vitro on Schistosoma mansoni adult worms and both human and animal cell lines. Next, CANE was administered orally to mice infected with either a prepatent infection or a patent infection of S. mansoni. Results: CANE was stable during 90 days of analysis. CANE showed in vitro anthelmintic activity, and no cytotoxic effects were observed. In vivo, CANE was more effective than the free compounds in reducing worm burden and egg production. Treatment with CANE was more effective for prepatent infections than praziquantel. Conclusion: CANE improves antiparasitic properties and may be a promising delivery system for schistosomiasis treatment.