The p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, inhibits cell invasion by Neospora caninum

• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5346-1
• Publication Date: 2016-12-30T15:33:28Z
• Authors: Xiaoxia Jin; Pengtao Gong; Guojiang Li; Xichen Zhang; Jianhua Li
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Coccidiosis; Pyridines; Imidazoles; Neospora; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Exocytosis; 3. Good health; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; 13. Climate action; Chlorocebus aethiops; Animals; Rabbits; Enzyme Inhibitors; Vero Cells

The Apicomplexan parasite Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular parasitic protozoan. It can cause severe diseases in a number of animals throughout the world. Infection with N. caninum leads to abortions in pregnant animals and neuromuscular disorders of newborns which cause great economic losses to animal husbandry. However, the mechanism of cell invasion by N. caninum is still unclear. This paper aims to investigate the impact of SB203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, on host cell invasion by N. caninum. The results suggested the presence of putative p38 MAPK homologues in N. caninum, and incubation of N. caninum with SB203580 markedly reduced the tachyzoite motility and microneme exocytosis (NcMIC2, 3, and 6). Furthermore, treatment or pretreatment of MDBK cells with SB203580 effectively reduced cell invasion by N. caninum. Therefore, SB203580 affected both, parasites and host cells, resulting in inhibition of cell invasion by N. caninum.