Profiling molecular factors associated with pyknosis and developmental arrest induced by an opioid receptor antagonist and dihydroartemisinin in Plasmodium falciparum.

ABSTRACT: Malaria continues to be a devastating disease, largely caused by Plasmodium falciparum infection. We investigated the effects of opioid and cannabinoid receptor antagonists on the growth of intraerythrocytic P. falciparum. The delta opioid receptor antagonist 7-benzylidenenaltrexone (BNTX) and the cannabinoid receptor antagonists rimonaband and SR144528 caused growth arrest of the parasite. Notably BNTX and the established antimalarial drug dihydroartemisinin induced prominent pyknosis in parasite cells after a short period of incubation. We compared genome-wide transcriptome profiles in P. falciparum with different degrees of pyknosis in response to drug treatment, and identified 11 transcripts potentially associated with the evoking of pyknosis, of which three, including glutathione redu

SUBMITTER: Asahi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5608265 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature