Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, 731235, India.
Department of Chemistry, University of Burdwan, Burdwan,713104, India; Polymer & Nano Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, 731235, India.
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2018 Jan 1;161:236-243. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2017.10.057. Epub 2017 Oct 20.
The present work seeks to explore the antifilarial activity of biopolymer functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) against human filarial parasite (Wuchereria bancrofti) through Nrf2 signaling for the first time. A natural polymer, chitosan is used along with Terminalia chebula extract to synthesize AuNPs following the principles of green chemistry. The probable mode of action of AuNPs as filaricidal agent has been investigated in detail using model filarial parasite, Setaria cervi (bovine parasite). Biopolymers inspired AuNPs exhibit superior antifilarial activity against both human and bovine filarial parasites, and are able to induce oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death in filarial parasites mediated through mitochondria. AuNPs also alter the Nrf2 signaling. In addition, the synthesized nanomaterials appear to be nontoxic to mammalian system. Thus the present mechanistic study, targeting human filarial parasites, has the potential to increase the therapeutic prospects of AuNPs to control lymphatic filariasis in the upcoming days.
本研究首次通过 Nrf2 信号通路探索了生物聚合物功能化金纳米粒子（AuNPs）对人体丝虫寄生虫（班氏吴策线虫）的抗丝虫活性。天然聚合物壳聚糖与诃子提取物一起，根据绿色化学的原则合成了 AuNPs。通过模型丝虫寄生虫（牛丝虫），详细研究了 AuNPs 作为杀丝虫剂的可能作用机制。受生物聚合物启发的 AuNPs 对人体和牛体丝虫寄生虫均表现出优异的抗丝虫活性，并能够通过线粒体诱导丝虫寄生虫中的氧化应激和凋亡细胞死亡。AuNPs 还改变了 Nrf2 信号通路。此外，合成的纳米材料对哺乳动物系统似乎没有毒性。因此，针对人体丝虫寄生虫的这种机制研究有可能增加 AuNPs 在未来控制淋巴丝虫病的治疗前景。
