Effect of Propranolol Alone and in Combination with Pyrimethamine on Acute Murine Toxoplasmosis
| Author | Mahbobeh Montazeri | en |
| Author | Ahmad Daryani | en |
| Author | Mohammadali Ebrahimzadeh | en |
| Author | Ehsan Ahmadpour | en |
| Author | Mehdi Sharif | en |
| Author | Shahabeddin Sarvi | en |
| Orcid | Ahmad Daryani [0000-0001-8571-5803] | en |
| Issued Date | 2015-09-01 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Toxoplasmosis is a public health problem worldwide. This complication principally affects immunodeficient patients and pregnant women. Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic parasite, causing severe illness among and death of high-risk individuals and treatment is becoming increasingly difficult owing to side effects and low efficacies of drugs. Objectives: In this study, we investigated the anti-Toxoplasma gondii efficacy of propranolol in vivo. Materials and Methods: This study was performed in two separate pre-treatment and post-treatment groups. In each group, 18 female Balb/c mice in six subgroups (n = 3) were used to assess the anti-Toxoplasma effect of propranolol at 2 and 3 mg/kg/day, pyrimethamine at 50 mg/kg/day, propranolol at 2 and 3 mg/kg/day plus pyrimethamine, and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; as negative control). Treatment was performed 4, 24, and 48 hours before and after an intraperitoneal challenge of 1 × 103 tachyzoites of the virulent RH strain of T. gondii, in pre-treatment and post-treatment groups. Mice peritoneal exudates were collected on the seventh day after the challenge and parasite numbers were recorded as percent of growth inhibition and survival rate. Results: In the pre-treatment group, results showed that propranolol at 2 and 3 mg/kg combined with pyrimethamine was more effective in inhibiting growth of tachyzoites (86% and 98%, respectively) when compared with propranolol at 2 and 3 mg/kg (37% and 39%, respectively) and pyrimethamine (41%) alone. In the post-treatment group, all combined treatments significantly reduced parasite load. The growth inhibition of tachyzoites in mice receiving propranolol (2 and 3 mg/kg) was 75% and 51%, with the mean tachyzoites count being 1526 ± 171.4 and 2948 ± 1452.8, respectively, compared with pyrimethamine treatment outcome, which represents 99.9% growth inhibition. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated the promising prophylactic and therapeutic effects of propranolol against T. gondii infection. Propranolol also increases the efficacy of pyrimethamine in combination therapies. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/jjm.22572 | en |
| Keyword | Propranolol | en |
| Keyword | Pyrimethamine | en |
| Keyword | Mice | en |
| Keyword | <i>Toxoplasma</i> | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Effect of Propranolol Alone and in Combination with Pyrimethamine on Acute Murine Toxoplasmosis | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
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