Investigation of antimalarial activity, cytotoxicity and action mechanism of piperazine derivatives of betulinic acid

Abstract

Objectives: To semisynthesise piperazine derivatives of betulinic acid to evaluate antimalarial activity, cytotoxicity and action mechanism.

Methods: The new derivatives were evaluated against the CQ-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain by flow cytometry (FC) using YOYO-1 as stain. Cytotoxicity of 4a and 4b was performed with HEK293T cells for 24 and 48 h by MTT assay. The capability of compound 4a to modulate Ca(2+) in the trophozoite stage was investigated. The trophozoites were stained with Fluo4-AM and analysed by spectrofluorimetry. Effect on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was tested for 4a by FC with DiOC6 (3) as stain. For β-haematin assay, 4a was incubated for 24 h with reagents such as haemin, and the fluorescence was measured by FlexStation at an absorbance of 405 nm.

Results: Antimalarial activity of 4a and 4b was IC50 = 1 and 4 μm, respectively. Compound 4a displayed cytotoxicity with IC50 = 69 and 29 μm for 24 and 48 h, respectively, and 4b was not cytotoxic at the tested concentrations. Addition of 4a leads to an increase in cytosolic Ca(2+) . We have measured ΔΨm after treating parasites with the compound. Data on Figure 4a show that mitochondria were not affected. The action mechanism for 4a, inhibition of β-haematin formation (17%), was lower than CQ treatment (83%; IC50 = 3 mm).

Conclusion: Compound 4a showed excellent antimalarial activity, and its action mechanism is involved in Ca(2+) pathway(s).

Keywords: Betulinic acid; Plasmodium falciparum; acide bétulinique; action mechanism; derivados del triterpeno; dérivés triterpéniques; malaria; mecanismo de acción; mécanisme d'action; paludisme; piperazina; piperazine; pipérazine; triterpene derivative; Ácido betulínico.