Navegando por Autor "Duarte, Mariana Costa"
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Item Acarbose presents in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activity against Leishmania infantum and is a promising therapeutic candidate against visceral leishmaniasis.(2020) Costa, Rafaella Rodrigues; Silva, João Augusto Oliveira da; Reis, Thiago Alves Rosa dos; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Freitas, Camila Simões de; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Martins, Vívian Tamietti; Antinarelli, Luciana Maria Ribeiro; Machado, Amanda Sanchez; Bandeira, Raquel Soares; Ribeiro, Fernanda Ludolf; Santos, Thaís Teodoro de Oliveira; Brito, Rory Cristiane Fortes de; Humbert, Maria Victoria; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Coimbra, Elaine Soares; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazTreatment against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is mainly hampered by drug toxicity, long treatment regimens and/or high costs. Thus, the identifcation of novel and low-cost antileishmanial agents is urgent. Acarbose (ACA) is a specifc inhibitor of glucosidase-like proteins, which has been used for treating diabetes. In the present study, we show that this molecule also presents in vitro and in vivo specifc antileishmanial activity against Leishmania infantum. Results showed an in vitro direct action against L. infantum promastigotes and amastigotes, and low toxicity to mammalian cells. In addition, in vivo experiments performed using free ACA or incorporated in a Pluronic® F127-based polymeric micelle system called ACA/ Mic proved efective for the treatment of L. infantum-infected BALB/c mice. Treated animals presented signifcant reductions in the parasite load in their spleens, livers, bone marrows and draining lymph nodes when compared to the controls, as well as the development of antileishmanial Th1-type humoral and cellular responses based on high levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, TNF-α, GM-CSF, nitrite and IgG2a isotype antibodies. In addition, ACA or ACA-treated animals sufered from low organ toxicity. Treatment with ACA/Mic outperformed treatments using either Miltefosine or free ACA based on parasitological and immunological evaluations performed one and 15 days post-therapy. In conclusion, data suggest that the ACA/Mic is a potential therapeutic agent against L. infantum and merits further consideration for VL treatment.Item An 8-hydroxyquinoline-containing polymeric micelle system is effective for the treatment of murine tegumentary leishmaniasis.(2016) Lage, Letícia Martins dos Reis; Barichello, José Mario; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Carvalho, Ana Maria Ravena Severino; Rodrigues, Marcella Rezende; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Alves, Ricardo José; Tavares, Carlos Alberto Pereira; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio Ferraz; Duarte, Mariana CostaItem Antileishmanial activity of compounds produced by endophytic fungi derived from medicinal plant Vernonia polyanthes and their potential as source of bioactive substances.(2015) Nascimento, Adriana Mendes do; Soares, Mateus Gonçalves; Torchelsen, Fernanda Karoline Vieira da Silva; Araújo, Jorge Augusto Viana de; Lage, Paula Souza; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Andrade, Pedro Henrique Rocha de; Ribeiro, Tatiana Gomes; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio Ferraz; Nascimento, Andréa Mendes doThe purpose of this work was to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of endophytic fungi isolated from leaves of Vernonia polyanthes plant and their prospective use in the discovery of bioactive compounds. Sixteen endophytes were isolated by using potato dextrose agar medium and submitted to cultivation in rice medium. The fungal cultures were extracted with ethanol and used as crude extracts for testing their antileishmanial activity. The most active ethanol extract was obtained from P2-F3 strain, which was identified as Cochliobolus sativus by ITS rRNA gene sequence data. Followed by a bioassay-guided fractionation, the cochlioquinone A, isocochlioquinone A and anhydrocochlioquinone A compounds were isolated from the crude extracts and demonstrated to inhibit the parasites. From the present work, it is possible to conclude that endophytic fungi derived from medicinal plant V. polyanthes may be considered promising source for the discovery of bioactive compounds.Item Avaliação do uso de proteína quimérica associada a miltefosina como estratégia de imunoquimioterapia para o tratamento da leishmaniose visceral em modelo hamster Mesocricetus auratus.(2023) Gonçalves, Letícia Captein; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Cardoso, Jamille Mirelle de Oliveira; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Cardoso, Jamille Mirelle de Oliveira; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Barbosa, Maria AndréaA leishmaniose visceral (LV) é classificada como a doença mais severa entre as leishmanioses. Como medidas de controle da doença, o Ministério da Saúde preconiza a administração de tratamento precoce, no entanto, a elevada toxicidade e os custos elevados dos fármacos utilizados constituem fatores limitantes, resultando em taxas significativas de interrupção do tratamento e contribuindo para a formação de cepas resistentes aos medicamentos, elevando a taxa de letalidade da LV. Dessa forma, faz-se necessário novas estratégias para o combate à doença. Dentre essas estratégias destaca-se a imunoquimioterapia, que se caracteriza pela combinação de substâncias biológicas que modulam e ativam a resposta imune em conjunto com substâncias quimioterápicas, reduzindo a toxicidade, a duração do tratamento e os custos associados aos medicamentos. Diante disso, propomos, por meio deste estudo, a comparação de distintos regimes de imunoquimioterapia, usando a associação de proteínas quiméricas associadas ao adjuvante MPL e miltefosina, sob a forma de terapia seriada e isolada, empregando infecção experimental por L. infantum em hamsters Mesocricetus auratus; Foram divididos 9 grupos (i) CI; (ii) Milt14; (iii) Milt28; (iv) MPL Iso; (v) Qui-a MPL Iso; (vi) Qui-a MPL + Milt14 Iso; (vii) MPL S; (viii) Qui-a MPL S; (ix) Qui-a MPL + Milt14 S; Foi realizado a infecção pela via intraperitoneal com 5x107 promastigotas de L. infantum. Se deu início aos regimes de tratamento 60 dias após a infecção, e os animais foram eutanasiados 30 e 90 dias finalizados os tratamentos. Durante esse procedimento, foram coletados fragmentos do baço e fígado, bem como amostras de sangue e soro. Foi observado em relação às análises hematológicas por meio de contagem diferencial, um aumento nos leucócitos nos animais tratados, tanto de forma seriada quanto isolada. Do mesmo modo, foi observado um aumento na produção de IFN-γ e TNF por linfócitos esplênicos totais e CD4+ , nos animais tratados de forma isolada 30 dias pós finalizados o tratamento, já no tempo 90 este aumento foi mais evidente nos grupos tratados de forma seriada, bem como uma redução da interleucina IL-10, estimulando uma resposta celular capaz de controlar o parasitismo tecidual esplênico nestes animais tratados em protocolos isolado ou seriado com a quimera associada ou não ao miltefosina. Sendo a combinação Qui-a MPL + Milt14 S se destaca como uma estratégia promissora a ser utilizada para o tratamento da LV.Item A clioquinol-containing Pluronic ® F127 polymeric micelle system is effective in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in a murine model.(2020) Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Pereira, Isabela Amorim Gonçalves; Silva, João Augusto Oliveira da; Ramos, Fernanda Fonseca; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Machado, Amanda Sanchez; Carvalho, Lívia Mendes; Reis, Thiago Alves Rosa dos; Melo, Luísa Helena Perin de; Carvalho, Ana Maria Ravena Severino; Ottoni, Flaviano Melo; Ribeiro, Fernanda Ludolf; Freitas, Camila Simões de; Bandeira, Raquel Soares; Silva, Alessandra M.; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Alves, Ricardo José; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazA clioquinol (ICHQ)-containing Pluronic F127 polymeric micelle system (ICHQ/Mic) was recently shown to be effective against Leishmania amazonensis infection in a murine model. In the present study, ICHQ/ Mic was tested against L. infantum infection. BALB/c mice (n = 12 per group) were infected with L. infantum stationary promastigotes through subcutaneous injection and, 45 days after challenge, received saline or were treated via the subcutaneous route with empty micelles, ICHQ or ICHQ/Mic. In addition, animals were treated with miltefosine by the oral route, as a drug control. Half of the animals were euthanized 1 and 15 days after treatment, aiming to evaluate two endpoints after therapy, when parasitological and immunological parameters were investigated. Results showed that the treatment using miltefosine, ICHQ or ICHQ/Mic induced significantly higher anti-parasite IFN-c, IL-12, GM-CSF, nitrite and IgG2a isotype antibody levels, which were associated with low IL-4 and IL-10 production. In addition, a higher frequency of IFN-c and TNF-a-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells was found in these animals. The parasite load was evaluated in distinct organs, and results showed that the treatment using miltefosine, ICHQ or ICHQ/Mic induced significant reductions in organic parasitism in the treated and infected mice. A comparison between the treatments suggested that ICHQ/Mic was the most effective in inducing a highly polarized Th1-type response, as well as reducing the parasite load in significant levels in the treated and infected animals. Data obtained 15 days after treatment suggested maintenance of the immunological and parasitological responses. In conclusion, ICHQ/Mic could be considered in future studies for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis.Item Comparing the therapeutic efficacy of different amphotericin Bcarrying delivery systems against visceral leishmaniasis.(2018) Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Martins, Vivian Tamietti; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Ribeiro, Patrícia Aparecida Fernandes; Carvalho, Ana Maria Ravena Severino; Dias, Anna Leticia Teotonio; Miyazaki, Carolina Kei; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Tavares, Carlos Alberto Pereira; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazAmphotericin B (Amp) has been well-successfully used to treat against Leishmania infection, although high toxicity has been found in patients. In the present study, Amp was administered in Leishmania infantum-infected BALB/c mice by three distinct delivery systems aiming to compare their efficacy against challenge infection, as well as their side effects in a murine visceral leishmaniasis (VL) model. This product was administered in a Poloxamer P407 (Pluronic® F127)-based polymeric micelle system (Amp/M), in the Ambisome® formulation (Lip-Amp) or in a free format (free Amp). Glucantime® (Gluc) was used as a comparative drug. Aiming to evaluate different endpoints of the treatments, the efficacy of the compounds was investigated one and 15-days after the therapeutic regimens, determining the parasite load by a limiting dilution assay and a quantitative PCR (qPCR) technique, as well as evaluating the immune response generated in the infected and treated animals. In the results, Amp/M or Lip-Amp-treated mice presented the best outcomes, since significant parasite load reductions were found in the evaluated organs, as well as a parasite-specific Th1 immune response was observed in the animals. In addition, no hepatic or renal damage was found in these mice. On the other hand, free Amp or Gluc induced toxicity in the animals, which was associated with a low Th1 immune response. Comparatively, Amp/M was the most effective drug in our experimental model, and results showed that the Amp-carrying system could be considered as a future alternative in studies against VL.Item Development of an immunogen containing CD4+/CD8+ T‐cell epitopes for the prophylaxis of tegumentary leishmaniasis.(2022) Ferraz, Isabela de Andrade; Carvalho, Ana Maria Ravena Severino; Brito, Rory Cristiane Fortes de; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Martins, Vivian Tamietti; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Cruz, Luiza dos Reis; Medeiros, Fernanda Alvarenga Cardoso; Gonçalves, Denise Utsch; Rocha, Manoel Otávio da Costa; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio Ferraz; Mendes, Tiago Antônio de Oliveira; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Souza, Daniel MenezesTegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) is a disease of high severity and incidence in Brazil, and Leishmania braziliensis is its main etiological agent. The inefciency of control measures, such as high toxicity and costs of current treatments and the lack of efective immunoprophylactic strategies, makes the development of vaccines indispensable and imminent. In this light, the present work developed a gene encoding multiple T-cell (CD4+/CD8+) epitope, derived from conserved proteins found in Leishmania species and associated with TL, to generate a chimeric protein (rMEP/TL) and compose a vaccine formulation. For this, six T-cell epitopes were selected by immunoinformatics approaches from proteins present in the amastigote stage and associated with host-parasite interactions. The following formulations were then tested in an L. braziliensis murine infection model: rMEP/TL in saline or associated with MPLA-PHAD®. Our data revealed that, after immunization (three doses; 14-day intervals) and subsequent challenging, rMEP/TL and rMEP/TL+MPLA-vaccinated mice showed an increased production of key immunological biomarkers of protection, such as IgG2a, IgG2a/IgG1, NO, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cells with IFN-γ and TNF-α production, associated with a reduction in CD4+IL-10+ and CD8+IL-10+ T-cells. Vaccines also induced the development of central (CD44highCD62Lhigh) and efector (CD44highCD62Llow) memory of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. These fndings, associated with the observation of lower rates of parasite burdens in the vaccinated groups, when compared to the control groups, suggest that immunization with rMEP/TL and, preferably, associated with an adjuvant, may be considered an efective tool to prevent TL.Item Evaluation of a Leishmania hypothetical protein administered as DNA vaccine or recombinant protein against Leishmania infantum infection and its immunogenicity in humans.(2018) Ribeiro, Patrícia Aparecida Fernandes; Dias, Daniel Silva; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Costa, Lourena Emanuele; Martins, Vivian Tamietti; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Lima, Mariana Pedrosa; Oliveira, Jamil Silvano de; Steiner, Bethina Trevisol; Ávila, Ricardo Andrez Machado de; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Teixeira Junior, Antonio Lucio; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a fatal disease when acute and untreated. The treatment against this disease is long and presents toxicity and/or high costs. Moreover, parasite resistance has been increasing. Therefore, alternative control measures to avoid the spread of disease should be considered. It is accepted that the development of the T helper (Th)1 immune response, based on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, is required for the control of parasites. Although recombinant protein-based vaccines have been tested against VL, they require supplementation with immune adjuvants. In addition, there is a scarcity of studies that comparatively evaluate the efficacy of the immunogens when administered by different delivery systems in mammalian hosts. In the present study, a Leishmania hypothetical protein, LiHyR, was cloned and evaluated by immunization as a plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccine or in a recombinant format plus saponin against Leishmania infantum infection. Results showed that both vaccination regimens induced a Th1 cell-based immunity, since high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were found, and were associated with the low production of IL-4, IL-10, and anti-parasite immunoglobulin (IgG)1 isotype. In addition, significant reductions in the parasite load were found in the evaluated organs of the DNA LiHyR or rLiHyR/saponin-vaccinated animals. No significant difference was achieved between groups vaccinated with DNA or the recombinant protein. The antigen proved to be also immunogenic in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from healthy subjects and from untreated and treated VL patients. A higher IgG2 isotype was also found in sera samples of these subjects, thus demonstrating its possible use as a human vaccine. This study demonstrates the protective efficacy of a new Leishmania protein against VL, when it is administered as a DNA vaccine or a recombinant protein plus saponin, and points out its use as a human vaccine against disease.Item Evaluation of the protective efficacy of a Leishmania protein associated with distinct adjuvants against visceral leishmaniasis and in vitro immunogenicity in human cells.(2020) Ribeiro, Patrícia Aparecida Fernandes; Dias, Daniel Silva; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Vale, Danniele Luciana; Ramos, Fernanda Fonseca; Carvalho, Lívia Mendes; Carvalho, Ana Maria Ravena Severino; Steiner, Bethina Trevisol; Roque, Marjorie Coimbra; Silva, João Augusto Oliveira da; Oliveira, Jamil Silvano de; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Martins, Vivian Tamietti; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Moreira, Ricardo Luiz Fontes; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Oliveira, Mônica Cristina de; Ávila, Ricardo Andrez Machado de; Teixeira Junior, Antonio Lucio; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazThe treatment against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) presents problems, mainly related to the toxicity and/or high cost of the drugs. In this context, a prophylactic vaccination is urgently required. In the present study, a Leishmania protein called LiHyE, which was suggested recently as an antigenic marker for canine and human VL, was evaluated regarding its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in BALB/c mice against Leishmania infantum infection. In addition, the protein was used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from VL patients before and after treatment, as well as from healthy subjects. Vaccination results showed that the recombinant (rLiHyE) protein associated with liposome or saponin induced effective protection in the mice, since significant reductions in the parasite load in spleen, liver, draining lymph nodes, and bone marrow were found. The parasitological protection was associated with Th1-type cell response, since high IFN-γ, IL-12, and GM-CSF levels, in addition to low IL-4 and IL-10 production, were found. Liposome induced a better parasitological and immunological protection than did saponin. Experiments using PBMCs showed rLiHyE-stimulated lymphoproliferation in treated patients’ and healthy subjects’ cells, as well as high IFN-γ levels in the cell supernatant. In conclusion, rLiHyE could be considered for future studies as a vaccine candidate against VL..Item Flau-A, a naphthoquinone derivative, is a promising therapeutic candidate against visceral leishmaniasis : a preliminary study.(2022) Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Pereira, Isabela Amorim Gonçalves; Silva, João Augusto Oliveira da; Ramos, Fernanda Fonseca; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Machado, Amanda Sanchez; Carvalho, Lívia Mendes; Reis, Thiago Alves Rosa dos; Carvalho, Ana Maria Ravena Severino; Ottoni, Flaviano Melo; Ribeiro, Fernanda Ludolf; Freitas, Camila Simões de; Martins, Vivian Tamietti; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Humbertf, Maria V.; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Alves, Ricardo José; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease found in tropical and subtropical regions in the world. The therapeutics used for the treatment against disease presents problems, mainly related to drug toxicity, route of administration, high cost and/or by emergence of resistant strains. In this context, the search for alternative antileishmanial candidates is desirable. Recently, a naphthoquinone derivative namely 2-(2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-6- deoxy-β-L-galactopyranosyloxy)-1,4-naphthoquinone or Flau-A showed an effective in vitro biological action against Leishmania infantum. In the present study, the efficacy of this naphthoquinone derivative was evaluated in an in vivo infection model. BALB/c mice (n = 12 per group) were infected and later received saline or were treated with empty micelles (B/Mic), free Flau-A or it incorporated in Poloxamer 407-based micelles (Flau-A/ Mic). The products were administered subcutaneously in the infected animals, which were then euthanized one (n = 6 per group) and 15 (n = 6 per group) days post-therapy, when immunological and parasitological eval- uations were performed. Results showed that animals treated with Flau-A or Flau-A/Mic produced significantly higher levels of antileishmanial IFN-γ, IL-12, TNF-α, GM-CSF, nitrite and IgG2a isotype antibody, when compared to data found in the control (saline and B/Mic) groups; which showed significantly higher levels of parasite- specific IL-4, IL-10 and IgG1 antibody. In addition, animals receiving free Flau-A or Flau-A/Mic presented also significant reductions in the parasite load in their spleens, livers, bone marrows and draining lymph nodes, when compared to the controls. A low hepatic and renal toxicity was also found. Overall, Flau-A/Mic showed better immunological and parasitological results, when compared to the use of free molecule. In conclusion, pre- liminary data suggest that this composition could be considered in future studies as promising therapeutic candidate against VL.Item High-through identification of T cell-specific phage-exposed mimotopes using PBMCs from tegumentary leishmaniasis patients and their use as vaccine candidates against Leishmania amazonensis infection.(2019) Carvalho, Gerusa Brandão de; Costa, Lourena Emanuele; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Ramos, Fernanda Fonseca; Santos, Thaís Teodoro de Oliveira; Ribeiro, Patrícia Aparecida Fernandes; Dias, Daniel Silva; Salles, Beatriz Cristina Silveira; Lima, Mariana Pedrosa; Carvalho, Lívia Mendes; Dias, Ana Carolina Silva; Alves, Patrícia Terra; Franklin, Michelle Lucrécio; Silva, Renata A. M.; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Goulart Filho, Luiz Ricardo; Teixeira Junior, Antonio Lucio; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazIn the current study, phage-exposed mimotopes as targets against tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) were selected by means of bio-panning cycles employing sera of TL patients and healthy subjects, besides the immune stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from untreated and treated TL patients and healthy subjects. The clones were evaluated regarding their specific interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) production in the in vitro cultures, and selectivity and specificity values were calculated, and those presenting the best results were selected for the in vivo experiments. Two clones, namely A4 and A8, were identified and used in immunization protocols from BALB/c mice to protect against Leishmania amazonensis infection. Results showed a polarized Th1 response generated after vaccination, being based on significantly higher levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-12, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF); which were associated with lower production of specific IL-4, IL-10 and immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) antibodies. Vaccinated mice presented significant reductions in the parasite load in the infected tissue and distinct organs, when compared with controls. In conclusion, we presented a strategy to identify new mimotopes able to induce Th1 response in PBMCs from TL patients and healthy subjects, and that were successfully used to protect against L. amazonensis infectionItem Immunodiagnosis of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis using recombinant Leishmania infantum Prohibitin protein and a synthetic peptide containing its conformational B-cell epitope.(2019) Rodrigues, Marcella Rezende; Santos, Lucas Magno Oliveira; Miyazaki, Carolina Kei; Martins, Vivian Tamietti; Ribeiro, Fernanda Ludolf; Kursancew, Amanda Christine da Silva; Ramos, Fernanda Fonseca; Dias, Daniel Silva; Oliveira, Jamil Silvano de; Vieira, Paula Melo de Abreu; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Ávila, Ricardo Andrez Machado de; Gonçalves, Denise Utsch; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio Ferraz; Duarte, Mariana CostaIn the present study, Leishmania infantum's Prohibitin was cloned and, alongside a synthetic peptide, evaluated for the serodiagnosis of visceral and tegumentary leishmaniasis (CVL and TL, respectively) in dogs and humans. For TL diagnosis, this study analyzed serum samples from cutaneous (n=20) or mucosal (n=39) leishmaniasis patients, and from Chagas disease (CD) patients (n=8) and non-infected patients (n=45). For CVL diagnosis, serum samples from asymptomatic (n=14), symptomatic (n=71), non-infected (n=116), and Leish-Tec®- vaccinated (n=79) dogs were examined, as well as T. cruzi (n=11) and Ehrlichia canis (n=10) infected animals. An indirect ELISA method using rProhibitin showed diagnostic sensitivity and specificity values of 91.76% and 89.91%, respectively. L. infantum SLA showed 86.11% and 48.24% of specificity and sensitivity, respectively, for CVL serodiagnosis, and 98.31% and 84.91% sensitivity and specificity, respectively for TL diagnosis. L. braziliensis SLA showed 75.47% and 83.05% of specificity and sensitivity, respectively, for TL diagnosis. The synthetic peptide showed a better result in TL than in CVL diagnosis. In conclusion, preliminar results suggest that the detection of antibodies against the rProhibitin protein and the synthetic peptide improves the serodiagnosis of TL and CVL.Item Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a new Leishmania hypothetical protein applied as a DNA vaccine or in a recombinant form against Leishmania infantum infection.(2019) Ribeiro, Patrícia Aparecida Fernandes; Dias, Daniel Silva; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Martins, Vivian Tamietti; Costa, Lourena Emanuele; Santos, Thaís Teodoro de Oliveira; Ramos, Fernanda Fonseca; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Ribeiro, Fernanda Ludolf; Gomes, Dawidson Assis; Rodrigues, Michele Angela; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Silva, Eduardo Sergio da; Galdino, Alexsandro Sobreira; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Teixeira Junior, Antonio Lucio; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazVaccination is one the most important strategies for the prevention of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). In the current study, a new Leishmania hypothetical protein, LiHyP, which was previously showed as antigenic in an immunoproteomic search in canine VL, was evaluated regarding its immunogenicity and protective efficacy against Leishmania infantum infection. The effects of the immunization using LiHyP were evaluated when administered as a DNA plasmid (DNA LiHyP) or recombinant protein (rLiHyP) associated with saponin. The immunity elicited by both vaccination regimens reduced the parasitism in liver, spleen, bone marrow and draining lymph nodes, being associated with high levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, GM-CSF, and specific IgG2a antibody, besides low production of IL-4, IL-10, and protein and parasite-specific IgG1 antibodies. CD4+ T cells contributed more significantly to IFN-γ production in the rLiHyP/saponin group, while CD8+ T cells were more important in the production of this cytokine in the DNA LiHyP group. In addition, increased IFN-γ secretion, along with low levels of IL-10, were found when PBMCs from treated VL subject and healthy individuals were stimulated with the recombinant protein. In conclusion, when administered either as a DNA plasmid or recombinant protein, LiHyP can direct the immune response towards a Th1 immune profile, protecting animals against L. infantum infection; therefore, it can be seen as a promising immunogen against human VL.Item Immunoproteomics approach for the discovery of antigens applied to the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis.(2023) Costa, Scarleth Silva; Santos, Lucas Magno Oliveira; Freire, Larissa Chaves; Tedeschi, Ana Luiza Filizzola; Ribeiro, Naianda Rezende; Queiroz, Mariana Helena Rodrigues; Beraldo Neto, Emídio; Pimenta, Daniel Carvalho; Galvani, Nathália Coral; Luiz, Gabriel Paulino; Oliveira, Maria Eduarda de; Ávila, Ricardo Andrez Machado de; Carvalho, Ana Maria Ravena Severino; Brigido, Bryan Victor Serafim; Reis, Alexandre Barbosa; Fernandes, Ana Paula Salles Moura; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio Ferraz; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Duarte, Mariana CostaIn the present study, an immunoproteomic approach using Leishmania infantum parasites isolated from naturally infected dogs from an endemic region of the disease, was carried out to identify new antigens to be used in the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). Protein extracts, obtained from parasites isolated from asymptomatic (CanLA) and symptomatic (CanLS) dogs, were used to perform the two-dimensional gels. Western Blotting assays were carried out by employing a pool of sera from dogs with visceral leishmaniasis (CanLA or CanLS), healthy dogs from an endemic area, or dogs with similar diseases associated with cross-reactions (babesiosis and ehrlichiosis). With these results, it was possible to exclude the spots that showed a crossreactivity of the sera from groups of healthy dogs, and those with babesiosis or ehrlichiosis. Taken together, 20 proteins were identified, 15 of which have already been described in the literature and 5 of which are hypothetical. An immunogenomic screen strategy was applied to identify conserved linear B-cell epitopes in the identified hypothetical proteins. Two peptides were synthesized and tested in ELISA experiments as a proof of concept for the validation of our immunoproteomics findings. The results demonstrated that the antigens presented sensitivity and specificity values ranging from 81.93% to 97.59% and 78.14 to 85.12%, respectively. As a comparative antigen, a preparation of a Leishmania extract showed sensitivity and specificity values of 75.90% and 74.88%, respectively. The present study was able to identify proteins capable of being used for the serodiagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis.Item Immunotherapy using immunogenic mimotopes selected by phage display plus amphotericin B inducing a therapeutic response in mice infected with Leishmania amazonenses.(2023) Soyer, Tauane Gonçalves; Ramos, Fernanda Fonseca; Pereira, Isabela Amorim Gonçalves; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Bandeira, Raquel Soares; Jesus, Marcelo Moreira de; Costa, Guilherme de Paula; Machado, Amanda Sanchez; Freitas, Camila Simões de; Vale, Danniele Luciana; Martins, Vivian Tamietti; Galdino, Alexsandro Sobreira; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio Ferraz; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa VieiraLeishmania amazonensis can cause cutaneous and visceral clinical manifestations of leish- maniasis in infected hosts. Once the treatment against disease is toxic, presents high cost, and/or there is the emergence of parasite-resistant strains, alternative means through which to control the disease must be developed. In this context, immunotherapeutics combining known drugs with immunogens could be applied to control infections and allow hosts to recover from the disease. In this study, immunotherapeutics protocols associating mimotopes selected by phage display and amphotericin B (AmpB) were evaluated in L. amazonensis-infected mice. Immunogens, A4 and A8 phages, were administered alone or associated with AmpB. Other animals received saline, AmpB, a wild-type phage (WTP), or WTP/AmpB as controls. Evaluations performed one and thirty days after the application of immunotherapeutics showed that the A4/AmpB and A8/AmpB combinations induced the most polarized Th1-type immune responses, which reflected in significant reductions in the lesion’s average diameter and in the parasite load in the infected tissue and distinct organs of the animals. In addition, the combination also reduced the drug toxicity, as compared to values found using it alone. In this context, preliminary data presented here suggest the potential to associate A4 and A8 phages with AmpB to be applied in future studies for treatment against leishmaniasis.Item Imunoterapia empregando diferentes composições vacinais para o tratamento da leishmaniose visceral em modelo hamster Mesocricetus auratus.(2020) Ferreira, Francielle Carvalho; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Cardoso, Jamille Mirelle de Oliveira; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Cardoso, Jamille Mirelle de Oliveira; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Borges, William de CastroA leishmaniose visceral (LV), causada pelos protozoários intracelulares Leishmania donovani e Leishmania infantum, é um grave problema de saúde pública no Brasil e no mundo. Na ausência de vacinas preventivas efetivas contra a doença, o tratamento quimioterápico é a principal ferramenta de controle utilizada de forma universal. No entanto, essa estratégia traz bastante consequências, como diversos efeitos adversos graves, necessidade de internação hospitalar e elevado tempo de terapia, o que leva ao abandono do tratamento e o surgimento de cepas de parasitos resistentes. Assim, levando em consideração que a prática quimioterápica convencional na LV humana e canina ainda é um desafio para a saúde pública mundial, a imunoterapia tem ganhado grande atenção na busca por protocolos terapêuticos mais seguros, com menos efeitos adversos e muitas vezes mais efetivos. Dessa forma, o objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a imunoterapia constituída pelas vacinas terapêuticas LBSap, LBMPL e LBSapMPL para o tratamento da leishmaniose visceral utilizando o hamster Mesocricetus auratus como modelo experimental. Para isso, foram utilizados 128 hamsters machos e fêmeas que foram infectados com 2x107 promastigotas de L. infantum (cepa OP46) por via intraperitoneal. Aproximadamente 60 dias pós infecção, esses animais foram divididos em oito grupos experimentais (n=8 em duplicata): (i) grupo CI (controle infectado), (ii) Grupo Antígeno de L. brasiliensis (LB), (iii) Grupo Saponina (Sap), (iv) Grupo Monofosforil Lipídeo A (MPL), (v) Grupo Saponina + Monofosforil Lipídeo A (SapMPL), (vi) Grupo Antígeno de L. brasiliensis (LB) + Saponina (vacina LBSap), (vii) Grupo Antígeno de L. brasiliensis (LB) + Monofosforil Lipídeo A (vacina LBMPL) e (viii) Grupo Antígeno de L. brasiliensis + Saponina + Monofosforil Lipídeo A (vacina LBSapMPL). Aproximadamente 30 dias após o fim dos protocolos terapêuticos, os animais foram eutanasiados e foi avaliado o perfil hemato-bioquímico, a produção de IgG total anti-Leishmania, o perfil de linfócitos T produtores de citocinas intracitoplasmáticas (IFN-, TNF-, IL-10) e a carga parasitária esplênica. Todos os experimentos foram realizados em duplicata. Nossos principais resultados demonstraram um restabelecimento do quadro hematológico (série vermelha) dos animais submetidos à vacinoterapia com LBSap e LBMPL e de linfócitos no grupo LBMPL. Em relação aos parâmetros bioquímicos observamos uma normalização dos níveis de ureia e creatinina, AST/TGO, proteínas totais e globulinas nos grupos tratados com as vacinas LBSap, LBMPL e LBSapMPL. Os resultados da reatividade de IgG total anti-Leishmania demonstram uma menor reatividade nos grupos LBSap e LBMPL quando comparado aos grupos controles. Em relação à produção de citocinas intracitoplasmáticas, observamos um aumento tanto de linfócitos totais e CD4+ produtores de TNF- quanto de IFN- quanto redução de IL-10 por linfócitos totais e linfócitos CD4+ nos grupos submetidos à vacinoterapia com LBSap, LBMPL e LBSapMPL. De forma interessante, quando quantificamos a carga parasitária no baço, observamos uma redução drástica do parasitismo nos grupos imunotratados com LBSap, LBMPL e LBSapMPL. Nossos resultados sugerem que a imunoterapia utilizando as vacinas LBSap, LBMPL e LBSapMPL promovem um importante restabelecimento da resposta imunológica com consequente controle do parasitismo tecidual nos animais experimentalmente infectados por L. infantum.Item In vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activity of b-acetyl-digitoxin, a cardenolide of Digitalis lanata potentially useful to treat visceral leishmaniasis.(2021) Freitas, Camila Simões de; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Silva, João Augusto Oliveira da; Costa, Rafaella Rodrigues; Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Martins, Vívian Tamietti; Reis, Thiago Alves Rosa dos; Antinarelli, Luciana Maria Ribeiro; Machado, Amanda Sanchez; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Ramos, Fernanda Fonseca; Brito, Rory Cristiane Fortes de; Ribeiro, Fernanda Ludolf; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Ramos, Gabriela S.; Munkert, Jennifer; Ottoni, Flaviano Melo; Campana, Priscilla Rodrigues Valadares; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Gonçalves, Denise Utsch; Coimbra, Elaine Soares; Braga, Fernão Castro; Pádua, Rodrigo Maia de; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazCurrent treatments of visceral leishmaniasis face limitations due to drug side effects and/or high cost, along with the emergence of parasite resistance. Novel and low-cost antileishmanial agents are therefore required. We report herein the antileishmanial activity of b-acetyl-digitoxin (b-AD), a cardenolide isolated from Digitalis lanata leaves, assayed in vitro and in vivo against Leishmania infantum. Results showed direct action of b-AD against parasites, as well as efficacy for the treatment of Leishmania-infected macrophages. In vivo experiments using b-AD-containing Pluronic F127 polymeric micelles (b-AD/Mic) to treat L. infantum-infected mice showed that this composition reduced the parasite load in distinct organs in more significant levels. It also induced the development of anti-parasite Th1-type immunity, attested by high levels of IFN-c, IL-12, TNF-a, GM-CSF, nitrite and specific IgG2a antibodies, in addition to low IL-4 and IL-10 contents, along with higher IFN-c-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell frequency. Furthermore, low toxicity was found in the organs of the treated animals. Comparing the therapeutic effect between the treatments, b-AD/Mic was the most effective in protecting animals against infection, when compared to the other groups including miltefosine used as a drug control. Data found 15 days after treatment were similar to those obtained one day post-therapy. In conclusion, the results obtained suggest that b-AD/Mic is a promising antileishmanial agent and deserves further studies to investigate its potential to treat visceral leishmaniasis.Item In vivo antileishmanial efficacy of a naphthoquinone derivate incorporated into a Pluronic® F127-based polymeric micelle system against Leishmania amazonensis infection.(2019) Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Soyer, Tauane Gonçalves; Carvalho, Lívia Mendes; Dias, Daniel Silva; Ribeiro, Patrícia Aparecida Fernandes; Ottoni, Flaviano Melo; Antinarelli, Luciana Maria Ribeiro; Vale, Danniele Luciana; Ribeiro, Fernanda Ludolf; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Coimbra, Elaine Soares; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Barichello, José Mario; Alves, Ricardo José; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazNew therapeutic strategies against leishmaniasis are desirable, since the treatment against disease presents problems, such as the toxicity, high cost and/or parasite resistance. As consequence, new antileishmanial compounds are necessary to be identified, as presenting high activity against Leishmania parasites, but low toxicity in mammalian hosts. Flau-A is a naphthoquinone derivative recently showed to presents an in vitro effective action against Leishmania amazonensis and L. infantum species. In the present work, the in vivo efficacy of Flau-A, which was incorporated into a Poloxamer 407-based micelle system, was evaluated in a murine model against L. amazonensis infection. Amphotericin B (AmB) and Ambisome® were used as controls. The animals were infected and later treated with the compounds. Thirty days after the treatment, parasitological and immunological parameters were evaluated. Results showed that AmB, Ambisome® , Flau-A or Flau-A/M-treated animals presented significantly lower average lesion diameter and parasite burden in tissue and organs evaluated, when compared to the control (saline and micelle) groups. Flau-A or Flau-A/M-treated mice were those presenting the most significant reductions in the parasite burden, when compared to the others. These animals developed also a more polarized antileishmanial Th1 immune response, which was based on significantly higher levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, TNF-α, GM-CSF, and parasite-specific IgG2a isotype; associated with low levels of IL-4, IL10, and IgG1 antibody. The absence of toxicity was found in these animals, although mice receiving AmB have showed high levels of renal and hepatic damage markers. In conclusion, results suggested that the Flau-A/M compound may be considered as a possible therapeutic target to be evaluated against human leishmaniasis.Item Influência de diferentes meios de cultura axênicos no crescimento, viabilidade e infectividade de Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum.(2019) Costa, Ana Flávia Pereira; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Soares, Rodrigo Dian de Oliveira Aguiar; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Borges, William de CastroA leishmaniose visceral (LV) é um grave problema de saúde pública e está em crescente expansão em várias regiões do mundo. É considerada a forma mais grave das leishmanioses, que se não diagnosticada ou não tratada pode levar ao óbito. Duas espécies são as responsáveis pela LV no mundo sendo a Leishmania (L.) donovani principal causadora da doença no Velho Mundo e Leishmania (L.) infantum, causadora da LV no Novo Mundo. Durante seu ciclo biológico, o parasito apresenta-se em dois principais estágios morfológicos diferentes: as promastigotas extracelulares presentes no hospedeiro invertebrado e as amastigotas intracelulares presentes no hospedeiro vertebrado. Ambas as formas morfológicas são passíveis de cultivar em condições laboratoriais em meios de cultura axênicos que, assemelham às propriedades e condições observadas no inseto. E, a partir dessa capacidade de se conseguir isolar e cultivar estes parasitos foi possível desenvolver grande parte do conhecimento sobre estes. Assim, em nosso estudo propusemos a utilização de diferentes meios de cultura (Grace’s® , LIT e Schneider’s® ) com diferentes suplementações (sem suplementação, suplementado com albumina 10% e suplementado com SFB 10%) com o objetivo de verificar se tais modificações influenciam no crescimento, morfologia, viabilidade e infectividade de parasitos afim de determinar o meio de cultura mais indicado para aplicação destes parasitos em desafios experimentais para testes de fármacos e vacinas, tanto in vitro quanto in vivo. Para isso, foram realizadas curvas de crescimento a partir de um inóculo de 1x107 formas promastigotas do gênero Leishmania infantum cepa OP46 (MCAN/BR/2008/OP46) nos diferentes meios com as distintas suplementações por 10 dias de acompanhamento. Ao analisar as curvas de crescimento dos parasitos em todos os meios de cultura com as diversas suplementações, foram observados distintos padrões no crescimento. Foi observado que os meios LIT e Schneider’s® na ausência e presença do SFB, apresentaram crescimento semelhante, e apresentaram uma grande multiplicação de parasitos. Já o meio Grace’s® suplementado com SFB e todos os meios acrescidos de albumina apresentaram crescimento mais reduzido. Em relação à morfologia, verificamos que, nos primeiros dias (1º - 4º dia) da curva de crescimento as formas promastigotas em todos os meios suplementados ou não, apresentaram-se alongadas, com flagelo livre e com intensa motilidade. No meio Grace’s® com suas três modificações e no Schneider’s® modificado ou não, aparecem formas arredondadas a partir do 5º dia. Já no meio LIT essas formas morfológicas começam a alterar entre o 5º e o 7º dia de cultivo em todas as modificações de suplementação. Em relação à viabilidade, que foi determinada por meio da citometria de fluxo, com marcação por iodeto de propídeo, pode-se constatar que no início da curva há uma alta porcentagem de promastigotas vivas em todos os meios e em todas as diferentes suplementações. Esse número começa a decair com o passar dos dias da curva de crescimento. Além disso, observamos nos meios sem suplementação grande mortalidade dos parasitos, na suplementação com albumina os parasitos parecem sobreviver por mais tempo e nos meios acrescidos de SFB a viabilidade foi variável dependente do meio. Após determinados os dias em que foi observado o maior número de promastigotas metacíclicas (fase estacionária), foram realizadas infecções in vitro em células murinas da linhagem J774.A1. Este procedimento foi realizado empregando-se duas técnicas distintas: citometria de fluxo e microscopia ótica. Utilizou-se também uma estratégia da contagem do número de amastigotas/macrófagos. Tal contagem demonstrou uma maior presença de amastigotas nos meios em que o parasito havia sido cultivado na presença de SFB. Para a citometria de fluxo, o índice de infecção foi acima de 80% para as promastigotas cultivadas no meio LIT acrescido de SFB. Na microscopia ótica, o meio LIT suplementado com albumina e SFB foram os que obtiveram taxa de infecção mais elevadas. Diante dos dados obtidos em nosso trabalho o meio de cultura LIT suplementando com SFB, serio o meio de cultura mais indicado para cultivo e utilização dos parasitos da espécie L. infantum para ensaios de infecção in vitro e in vivo.Item A Leishmania amastigote-specific hypothetical protein evaluated as recombinant protein plus Th1 adjuvant or DNA plasmid-based vaccine to protect against visceral leishmaniasis.(2020) Silva, João Augusto Oliveira da; Machado, Amanda Sanchez; Ramos, Fernanda Fonseca; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Pereira, Isabela Amorim Gonçalves; Santos, Thaís Teodoro de Oliveira; Martins, Vivian Tamietti; Carvalho, Lívia Mendes; Freitas, Camila Simões de; Ribeiro, Fernanda Ludolf; Reis, Thiago Alves Rosa dos; Bandeira, Raquel Soares; Silva, Alessandra M.; Costa, Lourena Emanuele; Oliveira, Jamil Silvano de; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Teixeira, Antônio Lúcio; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazMost studies evaluating vaccine candidates against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have used parasite promastigoteexpressed antigens; however, Leishmania proteins expressed in the amastigote forms should be considered, since few hours after infection this stage comes into contact with the host immune system and is responsible for the development of the disease. In this context, in the present study, a Leishmania amastigote-specific hypothetical protein, called LiHyJ, was evaluated as a recombinant protein plus saponin as an adjuvant or DNA vaccine to protect against VL. The vaccine effect was evaluated by means of the evaluation of immunological and parasitological analyses performed in BALB/c mice against Leishmania infantum infection. Results showed that rLiHyJ/saponin and DNA LiHyJ induced significantly higher levels of anti-protein and anti-parasite IFN-γ, IL-12, GM-CSF, and IgG2a isotype antibodies, which were associated with a low presence of IL-4 and IL-10. DNA vaccination induced higher IFN-γ production, mainly by CD8+ T cells, while rLiHyJ/saponin stimulated the production of this cytokine, mainly by CD4+ T cells. The parasite load evaluated in distinct organs showed that both immunization schedules significantly reduced organic parasitism, when compared to the controls. Similar results were found in the immunological and parasitological assays when using the recombinant protein or DNA, although the vaccination with rLiHyJ plus saponin induced a slightly higher Th1 response and lower parasite load, when compared to the use of DNA plasmid. The protein also proved to be immunogenic when peripheral blood mononuclear cells of treated VL patients and healthy subjects were in vitro stimulated, since higher IFN-γ and lower IL-4 and IL-10 levels were found in the culture supernatants. In conclusion, LiHyJ should be considered in future studies as a vaccine candidate to protect against VL.