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Biomedical subjects

I Y Gluzman

Publications and source records attributed to I Y Gluzman.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Intraerythrocytic parasites and red cell deformability: Plasmodium berghei and Babesia microti.

In the studies reported here, we examined the effects of two intraerythrocytic parasites (Plasmodium berghei and Babesia microti) on the deformability of their host red cells. Red cell deformability was assessed by three criteria: 1) the prevalence of tank-treading (the tank-tread-like movement of the red cell membrane around its cytoplasmic contents), 2) elongation under fluid shear stress (the steady-state length: width ratio), and 3) the time required for the red cell to reduce its steady-state elongation by 63.2% after the abrupt release of the shear stress (the characteristic shape-recovery time). Trophozoite-stage parasites of both species reduced the prevalence of tank-treading. Ring- and trophozoite-stage parasites of both species reduced steady-state elongation, and ring-stage P. berghei prolonged the shape-recovery time. These results suggest that altered red cell deformability is a common feature of infection with intraerythrocytic parasites.

Animals↗

Chloroquine resistance not linked to mdr-like genes in a Plasmodium falciparum cross.

Chloroquine is thought to act against falciparum malaria by accumulating in the acid vesicles of the parasite and interfering with their function. Parasites resistant to chloroquine expel the drug rapidly in an unaltered form, thereby reducing levels of accumulation in the vesicles. The discovery that verapamil partially reverses chloroquine resistance in vitro led to the proposal that efflux may involve an ATP-driven P-glycoprotein pump similar to that in mammalian multidrug-resistant (mdr) tumor cell lines. Indeed, Plasmodium falciparum contains at least two mdr-like genes, one of which has been suggested to confer the chloroquine resistant (CQR) phenotype. To determine if either of these genes is linked to chloroquine resistance, we performed a genetic cross between CQR and chloroquine-susceptible (CQS) clones of P. falciparum. Examination of 16 independent recombinant progeny indicated that the rapid efflux phenotype is controlled by a single gene or a closely linked group of genes. But, there was no linkage between the rapid efflux, CQR phenotype and either of the mdr-like P. falciparum genes or amplification of those genes. These data indicate that the genetic locus governing chloroquine efflux and resistance is independent of the known mdr-like genes.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

A rapid in vitro test for chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum.

We report a rapid (2-3 hr) in vitro test for chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. The test is based on the inhibition of chloroquine efflux by verapamil; it is performed by diluting infected blood in culture medium and incubating the diluted blood for 60 min at 37 degrees C with 50 nM 3H-chloroquine, with and without 10 microM verapamil. The test can be performed with the ring stage parasites in the blood of infected patients and in the presence of white cells, platelets and anticoagulants (heparin, EDTA, or citrate). Although the test can be performed in triplicate with 20 microliters of blood and specimens may be kept in anticoagulants at 4 degrees C for up to 24 hr, parasitemias less than 0.1% limit the sensitivity of the assay. Inhibition of chloroquine efflux by verapamil may permit the rapid identification of chloroquine resistant P. falciparum in blood specimens from infected patients.

Animals↗

Chloroquine and acid vesicle function.

These studies suggest that the site of chloroquine action against the malaria parasite is the acid intracellular vesicle system, and that the critical first step in chloroquine action is to raise parasite vesicle pH. Measurements of acid vesicle buffering capacity and of 3H-chloroquine accumulation suggest that the parasite has a chloroquine-concentrating mechanism in its acid vesicles, although the molecule(s) responsible for this concentration has not been identified. Chloroquine resistance in P. falciparum results from rapid efflux of chloroquine from the resistant parasite. This phenomenon alone is sufficient to account for chloroquine resistance.

Ammonium Chloride↗

Efflux of chloroquine from Plasmodium falciparum: mechanism of chloroquine resistance.

Chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum accumulate significantly less chloroquine than susceptible parasites, and this is thought to be the basis of their resistance. However, the reason for the lower accumulation of chloroquine was unknown. The resistant parasite has now been found to release chloroquine 40 to 50 times more rapidly than the susceptible parasite, although their initial rates of chloroquine accumulation are the same. Verapamil and two other calcium channel blockers, as well as vinblastine and daunomycin, each slowed the release and increased the accumulation of chloroquine by resistant (but not susceptible) Plasmodium falciparum. These results suggest that a higher rate of chloroquine release explains the lower chloroquine accumulation, and thus the resistance observed in resistant Plasmodium falciparum.

Animals↗

Inoculum effect with chloroquine and Plasmodium falciparum.

In the studies reported here, we examined the inoculum effect observed with chloroquine and Plasmodium falciparum. The 50% effective doses observed with both chloroquine-susceptible and -resistant parasites increased five- to sevenfold from their baseline values as the inoculum was increased from 2 X 10(5) to 2 X 10(7) parasitized erythrocytes per ml (parasitemias of 0.1 to 10% with a hematocrit of 2%). Increasing the inoculum also decreased the chloroquine uptake per parasitized erythrocyte 15- to 20-fold with both chloroquine-susceptible and -resistant parasites. However, because of the 100-fold increase in the inoculum, the total amount of chloroquine taken up actually increased sufficiently to reduce the extracellular chloroquine concentration in vitro by 60 to 90%. These studies suggest that a chloroquine uptake of greater than or equal to 2.0 pmol/10(6) parasitized erythrocytes is necessary for chloroquine to inhibit parasite growth. More marked reductions in the amount of chloroquine uptake per parasitized erythrocyte were observed with a hematocrit of 40% using similar parasitemias of 0.1 to 10% (inocula of 4 X 10(6) to 4 X 10(8) parasitized erythrocytes per ml). Thin-layer chromatography of [3H]chloroquine taken up by chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum revealed no evidence of drug alteration by the parasite. These studies define the mechanism responsible for the inoculum effect observed with chloroquine and P. falciparum in vitro.

Animals↗

Acid intracellular vesicles and the cytolysis of mammalian target cells by Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites.

Entamoeba histolytica kills mammalian target cells in a multi-step sequential process with separate adherence, cytolytic, and phagocytic events. In the studies reported here, we used fluorescein isothiocyanate linked to dextran to label the endocytic vesicles of the HM1 strain of E. histolytica and measure vesicle pH (5.1 +/- 0.2 by spectrofluorimetry). Concentrations of NH4Cl (1.0-10.0 mM) sufficient to increase vesicle pH to greater than or equal to 5.7 inhibited amebic killing of target Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells as assayed by trypan blue staining, by the release of 3H-thymidine previously incorporated into CHO cell monolayers, and by the release of 111indium oxine from radiolabeled CHO cells. Similar effects were also observed with two other weak bases, primaquine and chloroquine (both 50 microM). In contrast, NH4Cl (10 mM) did not affect either the adherence or phagocytic events, as measured by amebic adherence to CHO cells at 4 degrees C and by the binding and ingestion of 3H-leucine-labeled bacteria. In the presence of NH4Cl and the carbohydrate ligand asialofetuin, there was no evidence of intracellular trapping of the amebic galactose-inhibitable lectin; inhibition of adherence by cycloheximide (10 micrograms/ml for 3 h) suggested rapid turnover of the surface lectin. Prolonged exposure to NH4Cl for 48 h (which had no effect on amebic protein synthesis) or shorter exposure to cycloheximide (10 micrograms for 3 h) produced persistent inhibition of cytolysis. These results indicate that an uninterrupted acid pH in intracellular endocytic vesicles is necessary for the cytolysis of target cells by E. histolytica trophozoites.

Adhesiveness↗

Antimalarials increase vesicle pH in Plasmodium falciparum.

The asexual erythrocytic stage of the malarial parasite ingests and degrades the hemoglobin of its host red cell. To study this process, we labeled the cytoplasm of uninfected red cells with fluorescein-dextran, infected those cells with trophozoite- and schizont-rich cultures of Plasmodium falciparum, and harvested them 110-120 h later in the trophozoite stage. After lysis of the red cell cytoplasm with digitonin, the only fluorescence remaining was in small (0.5-0.9 micron) vesicles similar to the parasite's food vacuole. As measured by spectrofluorimetry, the pH of these vesicles was acid (initial pH 5.2-5.4), and they responded to MgATP with acidification and to weak bases such as NH4Cl with alkalinization. These three properties are similar to those obtained with human fibroblasts and suggest that the endocytic vesicles of plasmodia are similar to those of mammalian cells. Each of the antimalarials tested (chloroquine, quinine, and mefloquine) as well as NH4Cl inhibited parasite growth at concentrations virtually identical to those that increased parasite vesicle pH. These results suggest two conclusions: (a) The increases in vesicle pH that we have observed in our digitonin-treated parasite preparation occur at similar concentrations of weak bases and antimalarials in cultures of parasitized erythrocytes, and (b) P. falciparum parasites are exquisitely dependent on vesicle pH during their asexual erythrocytic cycle, perhaps for processes analogous to endocytosis and proteolysis in mammalian cells, and that antimalarials and NH4Cl may act by interfering with these events.

Ammonia↗

Plasmodium falciparum maturation abolishes physiologic red cell deformability.

Normal red cells deform markedly as they pass through the spleen and the peripheral capillaries. In these studies, the effects of Plasmodium falciparum infection and maturation on the deformability of parasitized red cells exposed to fluid shear stress in vitro were examined by means of a rheoscope. Red cells containing the early (ring) erythrocytic stage of the parasite have impaired deformability at physiologic shear stresses, and recover their normal shape more slowly. Red cells containing more mature parasites (trophozoites or schizonts) exhibit no deformation under the same conditions. These results provide a mechanism to explain the ability of the spleen to remove parasitized red cells from the circulation of both immune and nonimmune hosts.

Animals↗

Clindamycin activity against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum.

The clindamycin dose-response curves observed with both chloroquine-resistant and chloroquine-susceptible strains of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro demonstrated a plateau region that extended from 10(-2) to 10(1) micrograms/ml of drug (22 nM to 22 microM). Similar dose-response curves were also observed with the three major metabolites of clindamycin (clindamycin sulfoxide, de-N-methyl clindamycin, and de-N-methyl clindamycin sulfoxide). The position of this plateau was time dependent and rose from 20%-25% to 90%-95% inhibition of parasite growth between 24 and 72 hr of exposure to the drug. Clinidamycin treatment reduced plasmodial protein and nucleic acid synthesis (as measured by the incorporation of [3H]isoleucine and [3H]hypoxanthine, respectively) but did not interfere with knob formation. The combination of quinine plus a fixed concentration of clindamycin (0.1 microgram/ml) inhibited growth of the quinine-resistant Indochina I strain, although most of the antiplasmodial activity observed at quinine concentrations less than 50 ng/ml (154 nM) could be attributed to clindamycin alone.

Chloroquine↗