| Jpn J Infect Dis. 2015;68(4):321-3. |
| Impact of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy on falciparum malaria in urban Kolkata: a clinic based report.[Pubmed: 25720645] |
In India, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT; specifically artesunate + sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine) has been implemented for uncomplicated falciparum malaria since 2010. But for vivax malaria drug policy remained unchanged i.e., chloroqine and primaquine.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
We observed the impact of this intervention in urban Kolkata by analyzing data from the Malaria Clinic from 2001 to 2013. In Kolkata, we observed that Plasmodium vivax was perennial, whereas P. falciparum infection was seasonal. Before ACT implementation, the proportion of P. falciparum was as high as 50% and it steadily decreased during 4 successive years post intervention. No change was observed in the number of P. vivax cases.
CONCLUSIONS:
ACT may be an effective measure in reducing falciparum malaria cases. Artemisinin-derivative combination therapies should be explored in vivax malaria to reduce the overall burden of malaria. |
| Current Science, 2000 , 78 (6) :709-713. |
| Antimicrobial activity of artemisinin and its precursors.[Reference: WebLink] |
Artemisinic acid and Arteannuin B are biogenetic precursors of Artemisinin, an important antimalarial produced by the herb Artemisia annua. These compounds have been screened for antimicrobial activity against a range of organisms.
CONCLUSIONS:
All the three compounds are active against different bacteria and certain fungal species. |
| Redox Biol . 2017 Aug;12:625-633. |
| Artemisinin protects PC12 cells against β-amyloid-induced apoptosis through activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway[Pubmed: 28391183] |
| Abstract
Accumulating evidence displays that an abnormal deposition of amyloid beta-peptide (Aβ) is the primary cause of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). And therefore the elimination of Aβ is regarded as an important strategy for AD treatment. The discovery of drug candidates using culture neuronal cells against Aβ peptide toxicity is believed to be an effective approach to develop drug for the treatment of AD patients. We have previously showed that artemisinin, a FDA-approved anti-malaria drug, has neuroprotective effects recently. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects and potential mechanism of artemisinin in protecting neuronal PC12 cells from toxicity of β amyloid peptide. Our studies revealed that artemisinin, in clinical relevant concentration, protected and rescued PC12 cells from Aβ25-35-induced cell death. Further study showed that artemisinin significantly ameliorated cell death due to Aβ25-35 insult by restoring abnormal changes in nuclear morphology, lactate dehydrogenase, intracellular ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential and activity of apoptotic caspase. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that artemisinin activated extracellular regulated kinase ERK1/2 but not Akt survival signaling. Consistent with the role of ERK1/2, preincubation of cells with ERK1/2 pathway inhibitor PD98059 blocked the effect of artemisinin while PI3K inhibitor LY294002 has no effect. Moreover, Aβ1-42 also caused cells death of PC12 cells while artemisinin suppressed Aβ1-42 cytotoxicity in PC12 cells. Taken together, these results, at the first time, suggest that artemisinin is a potential protectant against β amyloid insult through activation of the ERK1/2 pathway. Our finding provides a potential application of artemisinin in prevention and treatment of AD.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Artemisinin; Aβ25–35; ERK1/2; PC12 cells. |
| Front Cell Neurosci . 2018 Apr 20;12:108. |
| Artemisinin Prevents Glutamate-Induced Neuronal Cell Death Via Akt Pathway Activation[Pubmed: 29731711] |
| Abstract
Artemisinin is an anti-malarial drug that has been in use for almost half century. Recently, novel biological effects of artemisinin on cancer, inflammation-related disorders and cardiovascular disease were reported. However, neuroprotective actions of artemisinin against glutamate-induced oxidative stress have not been investigated. In the current study, we determined the effect of artemisinin against oxidative insult in HT-22 mouse hippocampal cell line. We found that pretreatment of artemisinin declined reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, attenuated the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential induced by glutamate and rescued HT-22 cells from glutamate-induced cell death. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that artemisinin activated Akt/Bcl-2 signaling and that neuroprotective effect of artemisinin was blocked by Akt-specific inhibitor, MK2206. Taken together, our study indicated that artemisinin prevented neuronal HT-22 cell from glutamate-induced oxidative injury by activation of Akt signaling pathway.
Keywords: Akt; apoptosis; artemisinin; neuroprotection; oxidative stress. |
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