Performance and consistency of a fluorescence-based high-throughput screening assay for use in Babesia drug screening in mice

Sci Rep. 2017 Oct 16;7(1):12774. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-13052-5.

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the validity of a fluorescence-based assay using SYBR Green I (SG I) stain for screening antibabesial compounds against B. microti in mice. Two different hematocrits (HCTs; 2.5% and 5%) were used. Correlating relative fluorescence units (RFUs) with parasitemia showed significant linear relationships with R2 values of 0.97 and 0.99 at HCTs of 2.5% and 5%, respectively. Meanwhile, the Z' factors in a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay were within the permissible limit (≥0.5) at 2.5% HCT and lower than this value at 5% HCT. Taken together, the highest signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios were obtained at 2.5% HCT; therefore, we concluded that 2.5% was the best HCT for applying fluorescence assay in antibabesial drug screening in mice. Additionally, positive control mice and those treated with diminazene aceturate, pyronaridine tetraphosphate, and an allicin/diminazene aceturate combination showed peak parasitemia and fluorescence values on the same day post-inoculation. Moreover, using different concentrations of SG I revealed that the optimal concentration was 2x. In summary, considering that all experiments were applied under optimal laboratory conditions, fluorescence assay at 2.5% HCT using 2x SG I for B. microti parasite offers a novel approach for drug screening in mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anemia / drug therapy
  • Anemia / parasitology
  • Animals
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Babesia / drug effects*
  • Benzothiazoles
  • Diamines
  • Diminazene / analogs & derivatives
  • Diminazene / pharmacology
  • Diminazene / therapeutic use
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Fluorescence
  • Hematocrit
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / methods*
  • Leukocytes / drug effects
  • Leukocytes / metabolism
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Naphthyridines / pharmacology
  • Naphthyridines / therapeutic use
  • Nucleic Acids / metabolism
  • Organ Specificity / drug effects
  • Organic Chemicals / metabolism
  • Parasites / drug effects
  • Parasites / metabolism
  • Quinolines
  • Reproducibility of Results

Substances

  • Antiprotozoal Agents
  • Benzothiazoles
  • Diamines
  • Naphthyridines
  • Nucleic Acids
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Quinolines
  • SYBR Green I
  • diminazene aceturate
  • pyronaridine
  • Diminazene