Isoliensinine from Cissampelos pariera rhizomes exhibits potential gametocytocidal and anti-malarial activities against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates.

BACKGROUND: The unmet demand for effective malaria transmission-blocking agents targeting the transmissible stages of Plasmodium necessitates intensive discovery efforts. In this study, a bioactive bisbenzylisoquinoline (BBIQ), isoliensinine, from Cissampelos pariera (Menispermaceae) rhizomes was identified and characterized for its anti-malarial activity. METHODS: Malaria SYBR Green I fluorescence assay was performed to evaluate the in vitro antimalarial activity against D6, Dd2, and F32-ART5 clones, and immediate ex vivo (IEV) susceptibility for 10 freshly collected P. falciparum isolates. To determine the speed- and stage-of-action of isoliensinine, an IC50 speed assay and morphological analyses were performed using synchronized Dd2 asexuals. Gametocytocidal activity against two culture-adapted gametocyte-producing clinical isolates was determined using microscopy readouts, with possible molecular targets and their binding affinities deduced in silico. RESULTS: Isoliensinine displayed a potent in vitro gametocytocidal activity at mean IC50gam values ranging between 0.41 and 0.69 µM for Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates. The BBIQ compound also inhibited asexual replication at mean IC50Asexual of 2.17 µM, 2.22 µM, and 2.39 µM for D6, Dd2 and F32-ART5 respectively, targeting the late-trophozoite to schizont transition. Further characterization demonstrated a considerable immediate ex vivo potency against human clinical isolates at a geometric mean IC50IEV = 1.433 µM (95% CI 0.917-2.242). In silico analyses postulated a probable anti-malarial mechanism of action by high binding affinities for four mitotic division protein kinases; Pfnek1, Pfmap2, Pfclk1, and Pfclk4. Additionally, isoliensinine was predicted to possess an optimal pharmacokinetics profile and drug-likeness properties. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight considerable grounds for further exploration of isoliensinine as an amenable scaffold for malaria transmission-blocking chemistry and target validation.

Comparison of Adult Mosquito Black-Light and Light-Emitting Diode Traps at Three Cowsheds Located in Malaria-Endemic Areas of the Republic of Korea.

Adult mosquito surveillance and field trials evaluated selected commercially available ultraviolet black-light (BL) and light-emitting diode (LED) traps at three sites where vivax malaria is endemic from May to October 2015 in northwestern Republic of Korea. Collections totaled 283,929 adult mosquitoes (280,355 [98.74%] females and 3,574 [1.26%] males) comprising 17 species (including six members of the Anopheles Hyrcanus Group) belonging to six genera. The four most predominant female species collected were Aedes vexans nipponii (Theobald) (83.84%), followed by Anopheles Hyrcanus Group (13.66%), Culex pipiens Group (1.67%), and Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (0.54%). Overall, LED traps (188,125) collected significantly more female mosquitoes compared with BL traps (92,230; P = 0.0001, P < 0.05). Results from these field evaluations significantly enhance vector and disease surveillance efforts, especially for the primary vectors of malaria (Anopheles Hyrcanus Group) and Japanese encephalitis (Cx. tritaeniorhynchus).

Detection of SFTS Virus in Ixodes nipponensis and Amblyomma testudinarium (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Collected From Reptiles in the Republic of Korea.

A survey of reptile-associated ticks and their infection status with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus was conducted to determine the relative abundance and distribution among lizards, skinks, and snakes in the Republic of Korea (ROK). In total, 132 reptiles, including 49 lizards (two species), 15 skinks (one species), and 68 snakes (eight species) were collected. In total, 84 ixodid ticks belonging to two genera (Ixodes and Amblyomma) were collected from 28/132 (21.2%) lizards, skinks, and snakes. Ixodes nipponensis Kitaoka & Saito was only collected from lizards and skinks, while Amblyomma testudinarium Koch was only collected from snakes. Takydromus wolteri had the highest tick index (0.7; total number ticks/total number collected hosts) among lizards and skinks, while Rhabdophis tigrinus had the highest tick index (2.2) among the snakes. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs accounted for 11.1% and 88.9%, respectively, of all ticks collected from lizards and skinks, while only A. testudinarium nymphs were collected from snakes. Nymphs of both species of ticks were collected from lizards and skinks from April to October, while I. nipponensis larvae were collected only from September to October. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs were preferentially attached to the lateral trunk (83.3%) and the foreleg axillae (16.7%) of lizards and skinks. SFTS virus was detected in both I. nipponensis and A. testudinarium collected from lizards and snakes. Phylogenetic analysis of SFTS viruses of ticks collected from two lizards and one snake demonstrated close relationships with SFTS virus strains observed from humans and ticks in the ROK, China, and Japan. These results implicate lizards and snakes as potential hosts of SFTS virus.

Passive tick surveillance, dog seropositivity, and incidence of human lyme disease.

Data on nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks submitted by the public to the University of Rhode Island Tick Research Laboratory for testing from 1991 to 2000 were compared with human case data from the Rhode Island Department of Health to determine the efficacy of passive tick surveillance at assessing human risk of Lyme disease. Numbers of ticks submitted were highly correlated with human cases by county (r = 0.998, n = 5 counties) and by town (r = 0.916, n = 37 towns), as were the numbers of positive ticks submitted (r = 0.989 by county, r = 0.787 by town). Human cases were correlated with ticks submitted by town each year, and with positive ticks in all but 2 years. Thus, passive tick surveillance effectively assessed geographical risk of human Lyme disease. In contrast, tick submissions through time were not correlated with human cases from year to year. Dog seropositivity was significantly correlated with human cases by county in both years tested, but by town in only one of two years. Numbers of ticks submitted were correlated with dog seropositivity by county but not by town, apparently because of high variability among towns with small sample sizes. Our results suggest that passive tick surveillance, using ticks submitted by the public for Lyme spirochete testing, can be used to assess the geographical distribution of Lyme disease risk, but cannot reliably predict Lyme incidence from year to year.