Análise do efeito citotóxico de compostos de usnato de sódio complexados a íons lantanídeos

Abstract

Chagas disease, a pathology caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is endemic in 21 American countries. However, benznidazole and nifurtimox remain the only drugs available for its etiological treatment. Consequently, the search for new drugs has intensified, aiming to identify less toxic therapeutic alternatives. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects and morphological alterations in Vero cells treated with these compounds, with the goal of identifying potential anti-T. cruzi candidates that are less toxic to humans. Seven compounds obtained by complexation of sodium usnate with lanthanide ions were selected. The cells were exposed to different concentrations for 24 hours, and cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay. The 24-hour CC₅₀ values were determined by nonlinear regression analysis using GraphPad Prism 7.04. Morphological changes were assessed by optical microscopy after Giemsa staining. The CC₅₀/24h values of the complexes ranged from 18.23 to 55.42 μM, and morphological alterations were observed in cells treated with compounds C3, C4, C6, and C7. The results show that all seven compounds exhibit potential cytotoxic effects; however, further evaluation of their activity against T. cruzi and determination of their selectivity index in Vero cells may help guide their potential for future studies.