Antiretroviral activity of protease inhibitors against Toxoplasma gondii

• Main Authors: Lianet Monzote, Marta Rodríguez, Yenisey Alfonso, Raymundo Cox
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo 2013-02-01
• Series: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Subjects: Toxoplasma gondii; Antiretroviral protease inhibitors; Toxoplasmic encephalitis
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0036-46652013000100012&lng=en&tlng=en

The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has caused a marked reduction in the occurrence and severity of parasitic infections, including the toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE). These changes have been attributed to the restoration of cell-mediated immunity. This study was developed to examine the activity of six antiretroviral protease inhibitors (API) on Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. The six API showed anti-Toxoplasma activity, with IC50 value between 1.4 and 6.6 µg/mL. Further studies at the molecular level should be performed to clarify if the use of API could be beneficial or not for AIDS patients with TE.