Hydatid fluid from Echinococcus granulosus induces autophagy in dendritic cells and promotes polyfunctional T-cell responses.

Parasites possess remarkable abilities to evade and manipulate the immune response of their hosts. Echinococcus granulosus is a parasitic tapeworm that causes cystic echinococcosis in animals and humans. The hydatid fluid released by the parasite is known to contain various immunomodulatory components that manipulate host´s defense mechanism. In this study, we focused on understanding the effect of hydatid fluid on dendritic cells and its impact on autophagy induction and subsequent T cell responses. Initially, we observed a marked downregulation of two C-type lectin receptors in the cell membrane, CLEC9A and CD205 and an increase in lysosomal activity, suggesting an active cellular response to hydatid fluid. Subsequently, we visualized ultrastructural changes in stimulated dendritic cells, revealing the presence of macroautophagy, characterized by the formation of autophagosomes, phagophores, and phagolysosomes in the cell cytoplasm. To further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in hydatid fluid-induced autophagy, we analyzed the expression of autophagy-related genes in stimulated dendritic cells. Our results demonstrated a significant upregulation of beclin-1, atg16l1 and atg12, indicating the induction of autophagy machinery in response to hydatid fluid exposure. Additionally, using confocal microscopy, we observed an accumulation of LC3 in dendritic cell autophagosomes, confirming the activation of this catabolic pathway associated with antigen presentation. Finally, to evaluate the functional consequences of hydatid fluid-induced autophagy in DCs, we evaluated cytokine transcription in the splenocytes. Remarkably, a robust polyfunctional T cell response, with inhibition of Th2 profile, is characterized by an increase in the expression of il-6, il-10, il-12, tnf-α, ifn-γ and tgf-ß genes. These findings suggest that hydatid fluid-induced autophagy in dendritic cells plays a crucial role in shaping the subsequent T cell responses, which is important for a better understanding of host-parasite interactions in cystic echinococcosis.

Resveratrol against Echinococcus sp.: Discrepancies between In Vitro and In Vivo Responses.

In an attempt to find new anti-echinococcal drugs, resveratrol (Rsv) effectiveness against the larval stages of Echinococcus granulosus and E. multilocularis was evaluated. The in vitro effect of Rsv on parasites was assessed via optical and electron microscopy, RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. In vivo efficacy was evaluated in murine models of cystic (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE). The impact of infection and drug treatment on the mouse bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) population and its differentiation into dendritic cells (BMDCs) was investigated via flow cytometry and RT-qPCR. In vitro treatment with Rsv reduced E. granulosus metacestode and protoscolex viability in a concentration-dependent manner, caused ultrastructural damage, increased autophagy gene transcription, and raised Eg-Atg8 expression while suppressing Eg-TOR. However, the intraperitoneal administration of Rsv was not only ineffective, but also promoted parasite development in mice with CE and AE. In the early infection model of AE treated with Rsv, an expansion of HSCs was observed followed by their differentiation towards BMCDs. The latter showed an anti-inflammatory phenotype and reduced LPS-stimulated activation compared to control BMDCs. We suggest that Rsv ineffectiveness could have been caused by the low intracystic concentration achieved in vivo and the drug's hormetic effect, with opposite anti-parasitic and immunomodulatory responses in different doses.

Metformin improves the therapeutic efficacy of low-dose albendazole against experimental alveolar echinococcosis.

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a severe disease caused by Echinococcus multilocularis. Its chemotherapeutic treatment is based on benzimidazoles, which are rarely curative and cause several adverse effects. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative and safer chemotherapeutic strategies against AE. It has previously been shown that metformin (Met) exhibits considerable in vivo activity on an early-infection model of AE when administered at 50 mg kg−1 day−1 for 8 weeks. Here, the challenge is heightened by a 2-fold increase in parasite inoculum or by starting the treatment 6 weeks post-infection. In both cases, only the combination of Met (100 mg kg−1 day−1) together with a sub-optimal dose of albendazole (ABZ) (5 mg kg−1 day−1) led to a significant reduction in parasite weight compared to the untreated group. Coincidentally, drug combination showed the highest level of damage in E. multilocularis metacestodes. Likewise, Met alone or combined with ABZ led to a decrease in parasite glucose availability, which was evidenced as a lower intracystic glucose concentration. Therefore, the results demonstrate that combination therapy with Met and ABZ offers an alternative to improve the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of the high-dose ABZ monotherapy currently employed.

NfL predicts relapse-free progression in a longitudinal multiple sclerosis cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Easily accessible biomarkers enabling the identification of those patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who will accumulate irreversible disability in the long term are essential to guide early therapeutic decisions. We here examine the utility of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) for forecasting relapse-free disability progression and conversion to secondary progressive MS (SPMS) in the prospective Neurofilamentandlongtermoutcome inMS (NaloMS) cohort. METHODS: The predictive ability of sNfL at Baseline and sNfL follow-up (FU)/ Baseline (BL) ratio with regard to disability progression was assessed within a development cohort (NaloMS, n=196 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) or clinically isolated syndrome) and validated with an external independent cohort (Düsseldorf, Essen, n=204). Both relapse-free EDSS-progression (RFP: inflammatory-independent EDSS-increase 12 months prior to FU) and SPMS-transition (minimum EDSS-score of 3.0) were investigated. FINDINGS: During the study period, 17% (n=34) of NaloMS patients suffered from RFP and 14% (n=27) converted to SPMS at FU (validation cohort RFP n=42, SPMS-conversion n=24). sNfL at BL was increased in patients with RFP (10.8 pg/ml (interquartile range (IQR) 7.7-15.0) vs. 7.2 pg/ml (4.5-12.5), p<0.017). In a multivariable logistic regression model, increased sNfL levels at BL (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.04, p=0.012) remained an independent risk factor for RFP and predicted individual RFP risk with an accuracy of 82% (NaloMS) and 83% (validation cohort) as revealed by support vector machine. In addition, the sNfL FU/BL ratio was increased in SPMS-converters (1.16 (0.89-1.70) vs. 0.96 (0.75-1.23), p=0.011). This was confirmed by a multivariable logistic regression model, as sNfL FU/BL ratio remained in the model (OR 1.476, 95%CI 1.078-2,019, p=0.015) and individual sNfL FU/BL ratios showed a predictive accuracy of 72% in NaloMS (63% in the validation cohort) as revealed by machine learning. INTERPRETATION: sNfL levels at baseline predict relapse-free disability progression in a prospective longitudinal cohort study 6 years later. While prediction was confirmed in an independent cohort, sNfL further discriminates patients with SPMS at follow-up and supports early identification of patients at risk for later SPMS conversion. FUNDING: This work was supported by the German Research Council (CRC-TR-128), Else Kröner Fresenius Foundation and Hertie-Stiftung.

Modulation of the mTOR pathway plays a central role in dendritic cell functions after Echinococcus granulosus antigen recognition.

Immune evasion is a hallmark of persistent echinococcal infection, comprising modulation of innate immune cells and antigen-specific T cell responses. However, recognition of Echinococcus granulosus by dendritic cells (DCs) is a key determinant of the host's response to this parasite. Given that mTOR signaling pathway has been described as a regulator linking metabolism and immune function in DCs, we reported for the first time in these cells, global translation levels, antigen uptake, phenotype, cytokine transcriptional levels, and splenocyte priming activity upon recognition of the hydatid fluid (HF) and the highly glycosylated laminar layer (LL). We found that LL induced a slight up-regulation of CD86 and MHC II in DCs and also stimulated the production of IL-6 and TNF-α. By contrast, HF did not increase the expression of any co-stimulatory molecules, but also down-modulated CD40 and stimulated the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Both parasitic antigens promoted protein synthesis through mTOR activation. The use of rapamycin decreased the expression of the cytokines tested, empowered the down-modulation of CD40 and also reduced splenocyte proliferation. Finally, we showed that E. granulosus antigens increase the amounts of LC3-positive structures in DCs which play critical roles in the presentation of these antigens to T cells.

Functional characteristics of Th1, Th17, and ex-Th17 cells in EAE revealed by intravital two-photon microscopy.

BACKGROUND: T helper (Th) 17 cells are a highly plastic subset of T cells, which in the context of neuroinflammation, are able to acquire pathogenic features originally attributed to Th1 cells (resulting in so called ex-Th17 cells). Thus, a strict separation between the two T cell subsets in the context of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is difficult. High variability in culture and EAE induction protocols contributed to previous conflicting results concerning the differential contribution of Th1 and Th17 cells in EAE. Here, we systematically evaluate the role of different T cell differentiation and transfer protocols for EAE disease development and investigate the functional dynamics of encephalitogenic T cells directly within the inflamed central nervous system (CNS) tissue. METHODS: We compiled the currently used EAE induction protocols reported in literature and investigated the influence of the different Th1 and Th17 differentiation protocols as well as EAE induction protocols on the EAE disease course. Moreover, we assessed the cytokine profile and functional dynamics of both encephalitogenic Th1 and Th17 cells in the inflamed CNS using flow cytometry and intravital two-photon laser scanning microscopy. Lastly, we used astrocyte culture and adoptive transfer EAE to evaluate the impact of Th1 and Th17 cells on astrocyte adhesion molecule expression in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: We show that EAE courses are highly dependent on in vitro differentiation and transfer protocols. Moreover, using genetically encoded reporter mice (B6.IL17A-EGFP.acRFP x 2d2/2d2.RFP), we show that the motility of interferon (IFN)γ-producing ex-Th17 cells more closely resembles Th1 cells than Th17 cells in transfer EAE. Mechanistically, IFNγ-producing Th1 cells selectively induce the expression of cellular adhesion molecules I-CAM1 while Th1 as well as ex-Th17 induce V-CAM1 on astrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The behavior of ex-Th17 cells in EAE lesions in vivo resembles Th1 rather than Th17 cells, underlining that their change in cytokine production is associated with functional phenotype alterations of these cells.

The frequency of follicular T helper cells differs in acute and chronic neuroinflammation.

Beyond the major role of T cells in the pathogenesis of the autoimmune neuroinflammatory disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), recent studies have highlighted the impact of B cells on pathogenic inflammatory processes. Follicular T helper cells (Tfh) are essential for the promotion of B cell-driven immune responses. However, their role in MS and its murine model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), is poorly investigated. A first step to achieving a better understanding of the contribution of Tfh cells to the disease is the consideration of Tfh cell localization in relation to genetic background and EAE induction method. Here, we investigated the Tfh cell distribution during disease progression in disease relevant organs in three different EAE models. An increase of Tfh frequency in the central nervous system (CNS) was observed during peak of C57BL/6 J EAE, paralleling chronic disease activity, whereas in relapsing-remitting SJL EAE mice Tfh cell frequencies were increased during remission. Furthermore, transferred Tfh-skewed cells polarized in vitro induced mild clinical symptoms in B6.Rag1-/- mice. We identified significantly higher levels of Tfh cells in the dura mater than in the CNS both in C57BL/6 and in SJL/J mice. Overall, our study emphasizes diverse, non-static roles of Tfh cells during autoimmune neuroinflammation.

Metformin Suppresses Development of the Echinococcus multilocularis Larval Stage by Targeting the TOR Pathway.

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a severe disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis Current chemotherapeutic treatment options based on benzimidazoles are of limited effectiveness, which underlines the need to find new antiechinococcosis drugs. Metformin is an antihyperglycemic and antiproliferative agent that shows activity against the related parasite Echinococcus granulosus Hence, we assessed the in vitro and in vivo effects of the drug on E. multilocularis Metformin exerted significant dose-dependent killing effects on in vitro cultured parasite stem cells and protoscoleces and significantly reduced the dedifferentiation of protoscoleces into metacestodes. Likewise, oral administration of metformin (50 mg/kg of body weight/day for 8 weeks) was effective in achieving a significant reduction of parasite weight in a secondary murine AE model. Our results revealed mitochondrial membrane depolarization, activation of Em-AMPK, suppression of Em-TOR, and overexpression of Em-Atg8 in the germinal layer of metformin-treated metacestode vesicles. The opposite effects on the level of active Em-TOR in response to exogenous insulin and rapamycin suggest that Em-TOR is part of the parasite's insulin signaling pathway. Finally, the presence of the key lysosomal pathway components, through which metformin reportedly acts, was confirmed in the parasite by in silico assays. Taken together, these results introduce metformin as a promising candidate for AE treatment. Although our study highlights the importance of those direct mechanisms by which metformin reduces parasite viability, it does not necessarily preclude any additional systemic effects of the drug that might reduce parasite growth in vivo.

MOG encephalomyelitis: distinct clinical, MRI and CSF features in patients with longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis as first clinical presentation.

BACKGROUND: Based on clinical, immunological and histopathological evidence, MOG-IgG-associated encephalomyelitis (MOG-EM) has emerged as a distinct disease entity different from multiple sclerosis (MS) and aquaporin-4-antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). MOG-EM is associated with a broader clinical phenotype including optic neuritis, myelitis, brainstem lesions and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis with a substantial clinical and radiological overlap to other demyelinating CNS disorders. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate common clinical, MRI and CSF findings, as well as therapy responses in patients with longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) as initial clinical presentation of MOG-EM. METHODS: After excluding patients with a known diagnosis of MS, we identified 153 patients with myelitis of which 7 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were investigated for MRI, CSF and clinical parameters. RESULTS: Patients with LETM as first clinical presentation of MOG-EM display similar characteristics, namely a lack of gadolinium-enhancement in spinal cord MRI, marked pleocytosis, negative oligoclonal bands, a previous history of infections/vaccinations and response to antibody-depleting treatments for acute attacks and long-term treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We identify common pathological findings in patients with LETM as first clinical presentation of MOG-EM which distinguishes it from other forms of LETM and should lead to testing for MOG-IgG in these cases.

In vitro anti-echinococcal activity of octreotide: Additive effect of metformin linked to autophagy.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a worldwide zoonosis caused by the Echinococcus granulosus larval stage. The currently available therapy for this disease is based on benzimidazoles, which are rarely curative and cause several adverse effects. Therefore, new treatment options are needed. Octreotide (Oct) is a somatostatin analogue which exhibits anti-proliferative and anti-secretory effects over several cancer cell lines expressing somatostatin receptors. Here, we assessed the in vitro pharmacological effect of Oct against the E. granulosus larval stage. The drug caused a significant dose-dependent decrease in the viability of both protoscoleces and metacestodes. SEM and TEM analysis showed ultrastructural damage in both larval forms under drug treatment. Based on this, we investigated the possible presence of an Oct binding receptor in the parasite. The putative somatostatin/allatostatin-like receptor (Eg-s/ast) conserves the characteristic topology and signature sequences of the prototype somatostatin receptor common to vertebrates and is expressed in both metacestodes and protoscoleces. Moreover, Oct treated-parasites showed the presence of autophagic structures and a significant increase in transcriptional expression of autophagy key genes such as Eg-atg6, Eg-atg8, Eg-atg12 and Eg-atg16. In addition, by in toto immunolocalization assays, an increase in the punctate pattern and Eg-Atg8 protein expression was detected in Oct-treated metacestodes. Subsequently, the combination of Oct and Met had an additive effect on the viability of both larval forms. Our results provide additional evidence for the participation of PI3K/AKT/TOR/autophagy pathway in the Echinococcus survival and suggest the concomitant use of these drugs as potential therapeutic agents in treating of CE.

Neuronal ICAM-5 Plays a Neuroprotective Role in Progressive Neurodegeneration.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) leading to CNS inflammation and neurodegeneration. Current anti-inflammatory drugs have only limited efficacy on progressive neurodegenerative processes underlining the need to understand immune-mediated neuronal injury. Cell adhesion molecules play an important role for immune cell migration over the blood-brain barrier whereas their role in mediating potentially harmful contacts between invading immune cells and neurons is incompletely understood. Here, we assess the role of the CNS-specific neuronal adhesion molecule ICAM-5 using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. ICAM-5 knockout mice show a more severe EAE disease course in the chronic phase indicating a neuroprotective function of ICAM-5 in progressive neurodegeneration. In agreement with the predominant CNS-specific function of ICAM-5, lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1)/ICAM-1 contact between antigen-presenting cells and T helper (Th)17 cells in EAE is not affected by ICAM-5. Strikingly, intrathecal application of the shed soluble form, sICAM-5, ameliorates EAE disease symptoms and thus might serve locally as an endogenous neuronal defense mechanism which is activated upon neuroinflammation in the CNS. In humans, cerebrospinal fluid from patients suffering from progressive forms of MS shows decreased sICAM-5 levels, suggesting a lack of this endogenous protective pathway in these patient groups. Overall, our study points toward a novel role of ICAM-5 in CNS autoinflammation in progressive EAE/MS.

Metformin promotes autophagy in Echinococcus granulosus larval stage.

Cystic echinococcosis is a neglected parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus for which an effective treatment is not yet available. Since autophagy constitutes a homeostatic mechanism during stress, either inhibition or activation of its activity might be detrimental for survival of the parasite. Amongst the critical molecules that regulate autophagy, TOR, AMPK and sirtuins are the best characterized ones. Previously, we have identified the autophagic machinery, the occurrence of TORC1-controlled events, and the correlation between autophagy and the activation of the unfolded protein response in E. granulosus larval stage. In addition, we have demonstrated that the parasite is susceptible to metformin (Met), a drug that indirectly activates Eg-AMPK and induces energy stress. In this work, we demonstrate that Met induces autophagy in the E. granulosus larval stage. Electron microscopy analysis revealed the presence of autophagic structures in Met-treated protoscoleces. In accordance with these findings, the autophagic marker Eg-Atg8 as well as the transcriptional expression of Eg-atg6, Eg-atg8, Eg-atg12 and Eg-atg16 genes were significantly up-regulated in Met-treated parasites. The induction of the autophagic process was concomitant with Eg-foxO over-expression and its nuclear localization, which could be correlated with the transcriptional regulation of this pathway. On the other hand, the expression of Eg-AKT and Eg-Sirts suggests a possible participation of these conserved proteins in the regulation of Eg-FoxO. Therefore, through pharmacological activation of the AMPK-FoxO signaling pathway, Met could play a role in the death of the parasite contributing to the demonstrated anti-echinococcal effects of this drug. The understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of this pathway in E. granulosus represents a solid basis for choosing appropriate targets for new chemotherapeutic agents.

Anthelminthic activity of glibenclamide on secondary cystic echinococcosis in mice.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. Current chemotherapy against this disease is based on the administration of benzimidazoles (BZMs). However, BZM treatment has a low cure rate and causes several side effects. Therefore, new treatment options are needed. The antidiabetic drug glibenclamide (Glb) is a second-generation sulfonylurea receptor inhibitor that has been shown to be active against protozoan parasites. Hence, we assessed the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological effects of Glb against the larval stage of E. granulosus. The in vitro activity was concentration dependent on both protoscoleces and metacestodes. Moreover, Glb combined with the minimum effective concentration of albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO) was demonstrated to have a greater effect on metacestodes in comparison with each drug alone. Likewise, there was a reduction in the cyst weight after oral administration of Glb to infected mice (5 mg/kg of body weight administered daily for a period of 8 weeks). However, in contrast to in vitro assays, no differences in effectiveness were found between Glb + albendazole (ABZ) combined treatment and Glb monotherapy. Our results also revealed mitochondrial membrane depolarization and an increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels in Glb-treated protoscoleces. In addition, the intracystic drug accumulation and our bioinformatic analysis using the available E. granulosus genome suggest the presence of genes encoding sulfonylurea transporters in the parasite. Our data clearly demonstrated an anti-echinococcal effect of Glb on E. granulosus larval stage. Further studies are needed in order to thoroughly investigate the mechanism involved in the therapeutic response of the parasite to this sulfonylurea.

The Role of ERK Signaling in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling plays a crucial role in regulating immune cell function and has been implicated in autoimmune disorders. To date, all commercially available inhibitors of ERK target upstream components, such as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase/ERK kinase (MEKs), but not ERK itself. Here, we directly inhibit nuclear ERK translocation by a novel pharmacological approach (Glu-Pro-Glu (EPE) peptide), leading to an increase in cytosolic ERK phosphorylation during T helper (Th)17 cell differentiation. This was accompanied by diminished secretion of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a cytokine influencing the encephalitogenicity of Th17 cells. Neither the production of the cytokine interleukin (IL)-17 nor the proliferation rate of T cells was affected by the EPE peptide. The in vivo effects of ERK inhibition were challenged in two independent variants of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Overall, ERK inhibition had only a very minor impact on the clinical disease course of EAE. This indicates that while ERK translocation might promote encephalitogenicity in T cells in vitro by facilitating GM-CSF production, this effect is overcome in more complex in vivo animal models of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity.

Bortezomib initiates endoplasmic reticulum stress, elicits autophagy and death in Echinococcus granulosus larval stage.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a worldwide distributed helminthic zoonosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus. Benzimidazole derivatives are currently the only drugs for chemotherapeutic treatment of CE. However, their low efficacy and the adverse effects encourage the search for new therapeutic targets. We evaluated the in vitro efficacy of Bortezomib (Bz), a proteasome inhibitor, in the larval stage of the parasite. After 96 h, Bz showed potent deleterious effects at a concentration of 5 µM and 0.5 µM in protoscoleces and metacestodes, respectively (P < 0.05). After 48 h of exposure to this drug, it was triggered a mRNA overexpression of chaperones (Eg-grp78 and Eg-calnexin) and of Eg-ire2/Eg-xbp1 (the conserved UPR pathway branch) in protoscoleces. No changes were detected in the transcriptional expression of chaperones in Bz-treated metacestodes, thus allowing ER stress to be evident and viability to highly decrease in comparison with protoscoleces. We also found that Bz treatment activated the autophagic process in both larval forms. These facts were evidenced by the increase in the amount of transcripts of the autophagy related genes (Eg-atg6, Eg-atg8, Eg-atg12, Eg-atg16) together with the increase in Eg-Atg8-II detected by western blot and by in toto immunofluorescence labeling. It was further confirmed by direct observation of autophagic structures by electronic microscopy. Finally, in order to determine the impact of autophagy induction on Echinococcus cell viability, we evaluated the efficacy of Bz in combination with rapamycin and a synergistic cytotoxic effect on protoscolex viability was observed when both drugs were used together. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that Bz induced endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy and subsequent death allowing to identify unstudied parasite-host pathways that could provide a new insight for control of parasitic diseases.

Correction: Metformin exhibits preventive and therapeutic efficacy against experimental cystic echinococcosis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005370.].

Metformin exhibits preventive and therapeutic efficacy against experimental cystic echinococcosis.

Metformin (Met) is an anti-hyperglycemic and potential anti-cancer agent which may exert its anti-proliferative effects via the induction of energetic stress. In this study we investigated the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of Met against the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. Metformin showed significant dose- and time-dependent killing effects on in vitro cultured protoscoleces and metacestodes. Notably, the combination of Met together with the minimum effective concentration of ABZSO had a synergistic effect after days 3 and 12 on metacestodes and protoscoleces, respectively. Oral administration of Met (50 mg/kg/day) in E. granulosus-infected mice was highly effective in reducing the weight and number of parasite cysts, yet its combination with the lowest recommended dose of ABZ (5 mg/kg/day) was even more effective. Coincidentally, intracystic Met accumulation was higher in animals treated with both drugs compared to those administered Met alone. Furthermore, the safe plant-derived drug Met exhibited remarkable chemopreventive properties against secondary hydatidosis in mice. In conclusion, based on our experimental data, Met emerges as a promising anti-echinococcal drug as it has proven to efficiently inhibit the development and growth of the E. granulosus larval stage and its combination with ABZ may improve the current anti-parasitic therapy.

In Vitro Anti-Echinococcal and Metabolic Effects of Metformin Involve Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase in Larval Stages of Echinococcus granulosus.

Metformin (Met) is a biguanide anti-hyperglycemic agent, which also exerts antiproliferative effects on cancer cells. This drug inhibits the complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain inducing a fall in the cell energy charge and leading 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. AMPK is a highly conserved heterotrimeric complex that coordinates metabolic and growth pathways in order to maintain energy homeostasis and cell survival, mainly under nutritional stress conditions, in a Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1)-dependent manner. This work describes for the first time, the in vitro anti-echinococcal effect of Met on Echinococcus granulosus larval stages, as well as the molecular characterization of AMPK (Eg-AMPK) in this parasite of clinical importance. The drug exerted a dose-dependent effect on the viability of both larval stages. Based on this, we proceeded with the identification of the genes encoding for the different subunits of Eg-AMPK. We cloned one gene coding for the catalytic subunit (Eg-ampkɑ) and two genes coding for the regulatory subunits (Eg-ampkß and Eg-ampkγ), all of them constitutively transcribed in E. granulosus protoscoleces and metacestodes. Their deduced amino acid sequences show all the conserved functional domains, including key amino acids involved in catalytic activity and protein-protein interactions. In protoscoleces, the drug induced the activation of AMPK (Eg-AMPKɑ-P176), possibly as a consequence of cellular energy charge depletion evidenced by assays with the fluorescent indicator JC-1. Met also led to carbohydrate starvation, it increased glucogenolysis and homolactic fermentation, and decreased transcription of intermediary metabolism genes. By in toto immunolocalization assays, we detected Eg-AMPKɑ-P176 expression, both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of cells as in the larval tegument, the posterior bladder and the calcareous corpuscles of control and Met-treated protoscoleces. Interestingly, expression of Eg-AMPKɑ was observed in the developmental structures during the de-differentiation process from protoscoleces to microcysts. Therefore, the Eg-AMPK expression during the asexual development of E. granulosus, as well as the in vitro synergic therapeutic effects observed in presence of Met plus albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO), suggest the importance of carrying out chemoprophylactic and clinical efficacy studies combining Met with conventional anti-echinococcal agents to test the potential use of this drug in hydatidosis therapy.

Identification and pharmacological induction of autophagy in the larval stages of Echinococcus granulosus: an active catabolic process in calcareous corpuscles.

Autophagy is a fundamental catabolic pathway conserved from yeast to mammals, but which remains unknown in parasite cestodes. In this work, the pharmacological induction of autophagy was cellularly and molecularly analysed in the larval stages of Echinococcus granulosus. Metacestode sensitivity to rapamycin and TORC1 expression in protoscoleces and metacestodes were shown. Ultrastructural studies showed that treated parasites had an isolation membrane, autophagosomes and autolysosomes, all of which evidenced the autophagic flux. Genes coding for key autophagy-related proteins were also identified in the Echinococcus genome. These genes were involved in autophagosome formation and transcriptional over-expression of Eg-atg5, Eg-atg6, Eg-atg8, Eg-atg12, Eg-atg16 and Eg-atg18 was shown in presence of rapamycin or arsenic trioxide. Thus, Echinococcus autophagy could be regulated by non-transcriptional inhibition through TOR and by transcription-dependent up-regulation via FoxO-like transcription factors and/or TFEB proteins. An increase in the punctate pattern and Eg-Atg8 polypeptide level in the tegument, parenchyma cells and excretory system of protoscoleces and in vesicularised parasites was detected after rapamycin treatment. This suggests the occurrence of basal autophagy in the larval stages and during vesicular development. In arsenic-treated protoscoleces, high Eg-Atg8 polypeptide levels within the free cytoplasmic matrix of calcareous corpuscles were observed, thus verifying the occurrence of autophagic events. These experiments also confirmed that the calcareous corpuscles are sites of arsenic trioxide accumulation. The detection of the autophagic machinery in this parasite represents a basic starting point to unravel the role of autophagy under both physiological and stress conditions which will allow identification of new strategies for drug discovery against neglected parasitic diseases caused by cestodes.

Echinococcus granulosus tegumental enzymes as in vitro markers of pharmacological damage: a biochemical and molecular approach.

Cystic echinococcosis is a chronic, complex, and neglected disease. Novel therapeutical tools are needed to optimize human treatment. A number of compounds have been investigated, either using in vitro cultured parasites and/or applying in vivo rodent models. Although some of these compounds showed promising activities in vitro, and to some extent also in the rodent models, they have not been translated into clinical applications. Membrane enzyme activities in culture supernatants of treated protoscoleces with calcium modulator drugs and anthelmintic drugs were measured and provided an indication of compound efficacy. This work describes for the first time the detection of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase and acetylcholinesterase activities in supernatants of in vitro treated Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces. Marked differences on the enzymatic activities in supernatants from drug treated cultures were detected. We demonstrated that those genes that show the highest degree of conservation when compared to orthologs, are constitutively and highly expressed in protoscoleces and metacestodes. Due to high sensibility and the lack of activity in supernatants of intact protoscoleces, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase is proposed as the ideal viability marker during in vitro pharmacological studies against E. granulosus protoscoleces.