Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes abortion in cattle, resulting in significant economic losses. There is no commercial treatment for neosporosis, and drug repositioning is a fast strategy to test possible candidates against N. caninum. In this article, we describe the effects of atovaquone, chloroquine, quinine, primaquine and tetracycline on N. caninum proliferation. The IC50 concentrations in N. caninum were compared to the current information based on previous studies for Plasmodium and Toxoplasma gondii, correlating to the described mechanisms of action of each tested drug. The inhibitory patterns indicate similarities and differences among N. caninum, Plasmodium and T. gondii. For example, atovaquone demonstrates high antiparasitic activity in all the analyzed models, while chloroquine does not inhibit N. caninum. On the other hand, tetracycline is effective against Plasmodium and N. caninum, despite its low activity in T. gondii models. The repurposing of antimalarial drugs in N. caninum is a fast and inexpensive way to develop novel formulations using well-established compounds.
Highlights
Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan and a member of the phylum Apicomplexa
There is an arsenal of drugs against malaria, targeted to various stages of the parasite, which were developed in response to the side effects or cases of resistance (Bosson-Vanga et al, 2018; Luzzi & Peto, 1993; Takala-Harrison & Laufer, 2015; Wadi et al, 2018)
The widely used antimalarials quinine, chloroquine, primaquine and atovaquone were tested against N. caninum using LacZ-tagged tachyzoites and were compared with the current information about Plasmodium and T. gondii, reinforcing the similarities and differences among them
Summary
Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan and a member of the phylum Apicomplexa. As members of the same phylum (Apicomplexa), there are several similarities among N. caninum, Plasmodium and T. gondii (Morrissette & Sibley, 2002; Reid et al, 2012), which was observed when drugs were evaluated. The widely used antimalarials quinine, chloroquine, primaquine and atovaquone were tested against N. caninum using LacZ-tagged tachyzoites and were compared with the current information (based on previous studies) about Plasmodium and T. gondii, reinforcing the similarities and differences among them.
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