RESUMO
The genus Acanthamoeba, which may cause different infections in humans, occurs widely in the environment. Lung inflammation caused by these parasites induces pulmonary pathological changes such as pulmonary necrosis, peribronchial plasma cell infiltration, moderate desquamation of alveolar cells and partial destruction of bronchial epithelial cells, and presence of numerous trophozoites and cysts among inflammatory cells. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of plant extracts from Artemisia annua L. on expression of the toll-like receptors TLR2 and TLR4 in lungs of mice with acanthamoebiasis. A. annua, which belongs to the family Asteraceae, is an annual plant that grows wild in Asia. In this study, statistically significant changes of expression of TLR2 and TLR4 were demonstrated. In the lungs of infected mice after application of extract from A. annua the expression of TLRs was observed mainly in bronchial epithelial cells, pneumocytes (to a lesser extent during the outbreak of infection), and in the course of high general TLR expression. TLR4 in particular was also visible in stromal cells of lung parenchyma. In conclusion, we confirmed that a plant extract of A. annua has a modulatory effect on components of the immune system such as TLR2 and TLR4.
Assuntos
Acanthamoeba/fisiologia , Amebíase/tratamento farmacológico , Artemisia annua/química , Pneumopatias Parasitárias/tratamento farmacológico , Extratos Vegetais/uso terapêutico , Receptores Toll-Like/metabolismo , Amebíase/metabolismo , Animais , DNA Complementar/metabolismo , Imuno-Histoquímica , Pulmão/parasitologia , Pulmão/patologia , Pneumopatias Parasitárias/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologia , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , RNA de Protozoário/genética , RNA de Protozoário/isolamento & purificação , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Transcrição Reversa , Receptor 2 Toll-Like/efeitos dos fármacos , Receptor 2 Toll-Like/genética , Receptor 2 Toll-Like/metabolismo , Receptor 4 Toll-Like/efeitos dos fármacos , Receptor 4 Toll-Like/genética , Receptor 4 Toll-Like/metabolismo , Receptores Toll-Like/efeitos dos fármacos , Receptores Toll-Like/genéticaRESUMO
The treatment of acanthamoebiasis is a still a problem. Our previous studies showed that the application of extracts from Artemisia annua L. significantly prolonged the survival of mice infected by Acanthamoeba. This plant has medicinal properties in the treatment of human parasitic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of A. annua on expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 4 in brain of mice with Acanthamoeba infection. Mice were infected with Acanthamoeba sp. strain Ac309 (KY203908) by intranasal inoculation without and after application of A. annua extract. The administration of extract from A. annua significantly reduced the level of expression of TLR2 and modified the level of expression of TLR4. A. annua extract is a natural substance that is well tolerated in animals and may be considered as a combination therapy in treatment of acanthamoebiasis. Our study suggested that A. annua extract may be used as an alternative therapeutic tool.