Curcumin-Arteether Combination Therapy of Plasmodium berghei-Infected Mice Prevents Recrudescence Through Immunomodulation

Vathsala, Palakkod G and Dende, Chaitanya and Nagaraj, Viswanathan Arun and Bhattacharya, Debapriya and Das, Gobardhan and Rangarajan, Pundi N and Padmanaban, Govindarajan (2012) Curcumin-Arteether Combination Therapy of Plasmodium berghei-Infected Mice Prevents Recrudescence Through Immunomodulation. In: PLOS ONE, 7 (1).

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Abstract

Earlier studies in this laboratory have shown the potential of artemisinin-curcumin combination therapy in experimental malaria. In a parasite recrudescence model in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei (ANKA), a single dose of alpha, beta-arteether (ART) with three oral doses of curcumin prevented recrudescence, providing almost 95% protection. The parasites were completely cleared in blood with ART-alone (AE) or ART+curcumin (AC) treatments in the short-term, although the clearance was faster in the latter case involving increased ROS generation. But, parasites in liver and spleen were not cleared in AE or AC treatments, perhaps, serving as a reservoir for recrudescence. Parasitemia in blood reached up to 60% in AE-treated mice during the recrudescence phase, leading to death of animals. A transient increase of up to 2-3% parasitemia was observed in AC-treatment, leading to protection and reversal of splenomegaly. A striking increase in spleen mRNA levels for TLR2, IL-10 and IgG-subclass antibodies but a decrease in those for INF gamma and IL-12 was observed in AC-treatment. There was a striking increase in IL-10 and IgG subclass antibody levels but a decrease in INF gamma levels in sera leading to protection against recrudescence. AC-treatment failed to protect against recrudescence in TLR2(-/-) and IL-10(-/-) animals. IL-10 injection to AE-treated wild type mice and AC-treated TLR22/2 mice was able to prolong survival. Blood from the recrudescence phase in AE-treatment, but not from AC-treatment, was able to reinfect and kill naive animals. Sera from the recrudescence phase of AC-treated animals reacted with several parasite proteins compared to that from AE-treated animals. It is proposed that activation of TLR2-mediated innate immune response leading to enhanced IL-10 production and generation of anti-parasite antibodies contribute to protective immunity in AC-treated mice. These results indicate a potential for curcumin-based combination therapy to be tested for prevention of recrudescence in falciparum and relapse in vivax malaria.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	PLOS ONE
Publisher:	Public Library of Science
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Public Library of Science.
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Biochemistry
Date Deposited:	18 Apr 2012 05:21
Last Modified:	18 Apr 2012 05:21
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/44312

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