Leishmanicidal effect of dinoponeratoxin peptides from Dinoponera quadriceps

IF 2.4 4区医学 Q2 PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY

Toxicon Pub Date : 2025-09-19 DOI:10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108587

Dorotheia Teixeira Alves , Dânya Bandeira Lima , Naya Lucia de Castro Rodrigues , Raquel Pinheiro do Nascimento , Paulo Iury Gomes Nunes , Emanuel Paula Magalhães , Ramon Róseo Paula Pessoa Bezerra de Menezes , Maria Jania Teixeira , Alice Maria Costa Martins

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Abstract

Leishmaniasis, caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, remains a major global public health concern, with an estimated 30,000 deaths annually. Toxicity and emerging resistance to first-line therapies have hindered disease control. Arthropod antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a promising source of novel therapeutic alternatives. Dinoponeratoxins from the venom of the ant Dinoponera quadriceps have demonstrated notable antimicrobial and trypanocidal activities. This study evaluated the leishmanicidal potential of dinoponeratoxins M-PONTX-Dq3a, M-PONTX-Dq3b and M-PONTX-Dq3c. The treatment with M-PONTX-Dq3a showed the best results in L. braziliensis infection, exhibiting leishmanicidal activity against both parasite forms, increasing TNF-α and nitrite production in macrophages and inducing apoptosis in promastigotes. These findings support M-PONTX-Dq3a as a potential biopharmaceutical candidate for leishmaniasis treatment.

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股四头龙蛇毒肽的杀利什曼尼效应。

由利什曼原虫引起的利什曼病仍然是一个主要的全球公共卫生问题，估计每年有30 000人死亡。毒性和对一线治疗的新耐药性阻碍了疾病的控制。节肢动物抗菌肽（AMPs）是一种有前景的新型治疗方法。从四头恐龙的毒液中提取的恐龙角毒素已显示出显著的抗菌和锥虫活性。本研究评价了甲氧甲鱼毒素M-PONTX-Dq3a、M-PONTX-Dq3b和M-PONTX-Dq3c的杀利什曼尼鱼潜能。M-PONTX-Dq3a对巴西乳杆菌感染的效果最好，对两种寄生虫都有利什曼尼杀灭活性，巨噬细胞中TNF-α和亚硝酸盐的产生增加，并诱导promastigotes细胞凋亡。这些发现支持M-PONTX-Dq3a作为治疗利什曼病的潜在生物制药候选药物。

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来源期刊

Toxicon 医学-毒理学

CiteScore

4.80

自引率

10.70%

发文量

358

审稿时长

68 days

期刊介绍： Toxicon has an open access mirror Toxicon: X, sharing the same aims and scope, editorial team, submission system and rigorous peer review. An introductory offer Toxicon: X - full waiver of the Open Access fee. Toxicon''s "aims and scope" are to publish: -articles containing the results of original research on problems related to toxins derived from animals, plants and microorganisms -papers on novel findings related to the chemical, pharmacological, toxicological, and immunological properties of natural toxins -molecular biological studies of toxins and other genes from poisonous and venomous organisms that advance understanding of the role or function of toxins -clinical observations on poisoning and envenoming where a new therapeutic principle has been proposed or a decidedly superior clinical result has been obtained. -material on the use of toxins as tools in studying biological processes and material on subjects related to venom and antivenom problems. -articles on the translational application of toxins, for example as drugs and insecticides -epidemiological studies on envenoming or poisoning, so long as they highlight a previously unrecognised medical problem or provide insight into the prevention or medical treatment of envenoming or poisoning. Retrospective surveys of hospital records, especially those lacking species identification, will not be considered for publication. Properly designed prospective community-based surveys are strongly encouraged. -articles describing well-known activities of venoms, such as antibacterial, anticancer, and analgesic activities of arachnid venoms, without any attempt to define the mechanism of action or purify the active component, will not be considered for publication in Toxicon. -review articles on problems related to toxinology. To encourage the exchange of ideas, sections of the journal may be devoted to Short Communications, Letters to the Editor and activities of the affiliated societies.