School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Malaysia.
H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan.
Exp Parasitol. 2024 Oct;265:108827. doi: 10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108827. Epub 2024 Aug 13.
Tetrazoles are five-membered ring aromatic heterocyclic molecules that consist of one carbon and four nitrogen atoms. Several tetrazole-based drugs have shown promising activities against bacteria, fungi, asthma, cancer, hypertension etc. The overall aim of this study was to determine anti-Acanthamoebic properties of tetrazoles and tetrazole-conjugated silver nanoparticles. Tetrazole-conjugated silver nanoparticles were synthesized and confirmed using ultraviolet-visible spectrometry, Dynamic light scattering, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Using amoebicidal, encystment, and excystment assays, the findings revealed that tetrazoles exhibited antiamoebic properties and these effects were enhanced when conjugated with silver nanoparticles. Importantly, conjugation with silver nanoparticles inhibited parasite-mediated human cell death in vitro, as measured by lactate dehydrogenase release, but it reduced toxic effects of drugs alone on human cells. Overall, these results showed clearly that tetrazoles exhibit potent antiamoebic properties which can be enhanced by conjugation with silver nanoparticles and these potential in the rational development of therapeutic interventions against parasitic infections such as keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis due to pathogenic Acanthamoeba.
四唑是由一个碳原子和四个氮原子组成的五元环芳香杂环分子。一些基于四唑的药物已显示出对细菌、真菌、哮喘、癌症、高血压等具有有前景的活性。本研究的总体目标是确定四唑和四唑-缀合的银纳米粒子的抗棘阿米巴特性。通过紫外可见光谱、动态光散射和傅里叶变换红外光谱法合成并确证了四唑-缀合的银纳米粒子。通过杀阿米巴、包囊和出囊试验，研究结果表明四唑具有抗阿米巴特性，而与银纳米粒子缀合后则增强了这些作用。重要的是，与银纳米粒子的缀合抑制了寄生虫介导的体外人细胞死亡，这是通过乳酸脱氢酶释放来衡量的，但它降低了药物单独对人细胞的毒性作用。总的来说，这些结果清楚地表明，四唑具有很强的抗阿米巴特性，与银纳米粒子缀合可以增强这些特性，这为合理开发针对棘阿米巴引起的角膜炎和肉芽肿性阿米巴脑炎等寄生虫感染的治疗干预提供了潜力。
