Cysticidal effect of a pure naphthoquinone on Taenia crassiceps cysticerci.

Cysticercosis is a disease caused by the metacestode of the parasite Taenia solium (T. solium). In humans, the most severe complication of the disease is neurocysticercosis. The drug of choice to treat this disease is albendazole; however, the bioavailability and efficacy of the drug are variable. Therefore, new molecules with therapeutic effects against this and other parasitic infections caused by helminths must be developed. Naphthoquinones are naphthalene-derived compounds that possess antibacterial, antifungal, antitumoral, and antiparasitic properties. The aim of this work was to evaluate the in vitro anti-helminthic effect of 2-[(3-chlorophenylamino)phenylmethyl]-3-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, isolated from a natural source and then synthesized (naphthoquinone 4a), using an experimental model of murine cysticercosis caused by Taenia crassiceps (T. crassiceps). This compound causes paralysis in the cysticerci membrane from day 3 of the in vitro treatment. Additionally, it induces changes in the shape, size, and appearance of the cysticerci and a decrease in the reproduction rate. In conclusion, naphthoquinone 4a has in vitro cysticidal activity on T. crassiceps cysticerci depending on the duration of the treatment and the concentration of the compound. Therefore, it is a promising drug candidate to be used in T. crassiceps and possibly T. solium infections.

Bisphenol A, an endocrine-disruptor compund, that modulates the immune response to infections.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-disruptor compound that exhibits estrogenic activity. BPA is used in the production of materials such as polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins and dental sealants. Whereas, the endocrine modulating activity of BPA and its effects on reproductive health have been widely studied, its effects on the function of the immune system are poorly characterized. This might be attributable to the different BPA doses used in a diversity of animal models. Moreover, most studies of the effect of BPA on the immune response are limited to in vitro and in vivo studies that have focused primarily on the impact of BPA on the number and proportion of immune cell populations, without evaluating its effects on immune function in response to an antigenic challenge or infectious pathogens. In this review, we discuss the current literature on the effects of BPA on the function of immune system that potentially increases the susceptibility to infections by the virtue of acting as a pro-inflammatory molecule. Thus, it appears that BPA, while by such an impact might be useful in the control of certain disease states that are helped by an inflmmatory response, it can worsen the prognosis of diseases that are adversely affected by inflammation.