The free-living amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii is responsible for the central nervous infection granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and sight-threatening infection Acanthamoeba keratitis. Moreover, no effective treatment is currently present, and a combination drug therapy is used. In this study, twelve DNA minor groove binders (MGBs) were synthesized and tested for their antiamoebic activity via amoebicidal, encystation, excystation, and cytopathogenicity assays. It was found that the compounds MGB3, MGB6, MGB22, MGB24, and MGB16 significantly reduce amoeba viability to 76.20%, 59.45%, 66.5%, 39.32%, and 43.21%, respectively, in amoebicidal assays. Moreover, the compounds MGB6, MGB20, MGB22, MGB28, MGB30, MGB32, and MGB16 significantly inhibit Acanthamoeba cysts, leading to the development of only 46.3%, 39%, 30.3%, 29.6%, 27.8%, 41.5%, and 45.6% cysts. Additionally, the compounds MGB3, MGB4, MGB6, MGB22, MGB24, MGB28, MGB32, and MGB16 significantly reduce the re-emergence of cysts to trophozoites, with viable trophozoites being only 64.3%, 47.3%, 41.4%, 52.9%, 55.4%, 40.6%, 62.1%, and 51.7%. Moreover, the compounds MGB3, MGB4, and MGB6 exhibited the greatest reduction in amoeba-mediated host-cell death, with cell death reduced to 41.5%, 49.4%, and 49.5%. With the following determined, future in vivo studies can be carried out to understand the effect of the compounds on animal models such as mice.
自由生活的阿米巴原虫 Acanthamoeba castellanii 是造成中枢神经感染肉芽肿阿米巴脑炎和危及视力感染 Acanthamoeba 角膜炎的罪魁祸首。此外,目前还没有有效的治疗方法,只能采用联合药物治疗。本研究合成了 12 种 DNA 小沟结合剂(MGBs),并通过阿米巴杀灭试验、阿米巴囊肿形成试验、阿米巴外囊形成试验和细胞致病性试验测试其抗阿米巴活性。结果发现,在杀阿米巴试验中,化合物 MGB3、MGB6、MGB22、MGB24 和 MGB16 能显著降低阿米巴的存活率,分别为 76.20%、59.45%、66.5%、39.32% 和 43.21%。此外,化合物 MGB6、MGB20、MGB22、MGB28、MGB30、MGB32 和 MGB16 还能显著抑制阿卡阿米巴囊肿,使囊肿发育率分别降至 46.3%、39%、30.3%、29.6%、27.8%、41.5% 和 45.6%。此外,化合物 MGB3、MGB4、MGB6、MGB22、MGB24、MGB28、MGB32 和 MGB16 还能显著减少包囊向滋养体的再萌发,有活力的滋养体只占 64.3%、47.3%、41.4%、52.9%、55.4%、40.6%、62.1% 和 51.7%。此外,MGB3、MGB4 和 MGB6 化合物对阿米巴介导的宿主细胞死亡的降低幅度最大,分别降低了 41.5%、49.4% 和 49.5%。有了以下确定的结果,今后就可以开展体内研究,以了解化合物对小鼠等动物模型的影响。