Evaluation of the Combined Effect of Artemisinin and Ferroptosis Inducer RSL3 against Toxoplasma gondii.

ABSTRACT: Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread intracellular pathogen that infects humans and a variety of animals. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an effective anti-malarial drug, has potential anti-T. gondii activity that induces ferroptosis in tumor cells, but the mechanism by which it kills T. gondii is not fully understood. In this study, the mechanism of DHA inhibiting T. gondii growth and its possible drug combinations are described. DHA potently inhibited T. gondii with a half-maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) of 0.22 μM. DHA significantly increased the ROS level of parasites and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, which could be reversed by ferroptosis inhibitors (DFO). Moreover, the ferroptosis inducer RSL3 inhibited T. gondii wi

SUBMITTER: Huang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9820390 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature