In Vitro Activity of Pentamidine Isethionate against Trophozoite and Cyst of Acanthamoeba

Massoud  Behnia; Alireza  Latifi; Mostafa  Rezaian; Sharmin  Kharazi; Mehdi  Mohebali; Setayesh  Yasami; Shiva  Saghafi; Reza  Chahardoli; Narges  Anasori; Hakimeh  Torkian; Mohammad  Soleimani; Maryam  Niyyati; Elham  Kazemirad

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v16i4.7868

Massoud Behnia Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Alireza Latifi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mostafa Rezaian Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Sharmin Kharazi Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Scienc-es, Tehran, Iran
Mehdi Mohebali Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Setayesh Yasami Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Shiva Saghafi Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Reza Chahardoli School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Narges Anasori Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hakimeh Torkian Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Soleimani Ocular Trauma and Emergency Department, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Niyyati Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Elham Kazemirad Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v16i4.7868

Abstract

Background: Acanthamoebae are a causative agent of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) in immunocompetent individuals. Since access to propamidine isethionate (Brolene®) as a first-line treatment has been limited in recent years, in the current study, we examined the effects of pentamidine isethionate against trophozoite and cyst forms of Acanthamoeba.

Methods: This experimental study was conducted in the Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, during 2019-2020. Pentamidine isethionate at concentrations of 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 µM were tested against trophozoites and cyst stages of T4 genotype, at 24- and 48-hour incubation period, and the viability was determined by trypan blue staining. In addition, the cytotoxic effect of the drug was examined in Vero cells using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.

Results: The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of pentamidine isethionate on trophozoite after 24 and 48h were 97.4 µM and 60.99 µM. These results on cyst after 24 and 48h were 470 µM and 175.5 µM, respectively. In MTT assay, the drug showed an inhibitory effect on Vero cell growth with IC50 values of 115.4 µM and 87.42 µM after 24h and 48h, respectively.

Conclusion: Pentamidine isethionate exhibited an inhibitory effect on trophozoite and cyst. Given that the trophozoicidal activity of the drug is in the safe dose, it could be suggested as an alternative in patients with AK; however, further investigation is needed in an animal model to confirm the data.