Ex Vivo Cultivation of Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania tropica and Toxoplasma gondii Parasites and the Evaluation of Antiparasitic Drug Efficacy of Auranofin

Objective: In our study; It was aimed to reproduce L.tropica and T.gondii parasites besides T.cruzi, produced by ex-vivo cultivation for the first time in Turkey, in J774 Vero and HeLa cells by ex-vivo cultivation rapidly without losing their virulence properties and to investigate the antiparasitic drug efficacy of auranofin on these parasites. Materials and Methods: In ex-vivo cultivation using T.cruzi, L.tropica and T.gondii parasites, together with J774, Vero and HeLa cells, stored in liquid nitrogen, three consecutive passages were performed. Infection rates were evaluated by light microscopic examination of giemsa-stained slides prepared after each passage. In-vitro drug efficacy of auranofin was investigated by hemocytometry and celltiter-glo methods and the ex-vivo drug efficacy by light microscopic examination of giemsa-stained preparations. Also cytotoxic activity of auranofin was examined by MTT. Results: As a result of ex-vivo cultivation, the best cell lines for T.cruzi and L.tropica strains were found to be J774, Vero and HeLa, respectively, and for T.gondii strains HeLa, J774 and Vero, respectively. According to IC50, CC50 and SI data, auranofin didn't show cytotoxic activity, but showed antiparasitic activity on T.cruzi, L.tropica and T.gondii (p <0.05). Conclusions: L.tropica and T.gondii parasites besides T.cruzi, produced by ex-vivo cultivation in Turkey first, were reproduced in J774 Vero and HeLa cells by ex-vivo cultivation rapidly without losing virulence properties. It is considered as an important and promising development that auranofin doesn't show cytotoxic activity according to IC50, CC50 and SI data and shows antiparasitic activity on T.cruzi and T.gondii, besides L.tropica, first indicated in the World.