Description
Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone originally found in Artemisia (wormwood); it is clinically used to treat malaria. Artemisinin exhibits anti-parasitic, antimalarial, cardioprotective, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. This compound inhibits growth of Plasmodium. In animal models of myocardial infarction, artemisinin decreases ventricular fibrillation threshold and levels of TNF-α and increases expression of connexin 43. In macrophages, this compound inhibits IL-6 release. Artemisinin also inhibits growth of neuroblastoma cells, increasing activation of AMPK and decreasing signaling by mTOR.
References
Gu Y, Wu G, Wang X, et al. Artemisinin prevents electric remodeling following myocardial infarction possibly by upregulating the expression of connexin 43. Mol Med Rep. 2014 Oct;10(4):1851-6. PMID: 25110145.
Tan WQ, Chen G, Jia B, et al. Artemisinin inhibits neuroblastoma proliferation through activation of AHP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling. Pharmazie. 2014 Jun;69(6):468-72. PMID: 24974584.
Patel K, Batty KT, Moore BR, et al. Predicting the parasite killing effect of artemisinin combination therapy in a murine malaria model. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2014 Aug;69(8):2155-63. PMID: 24777899.
Yu WY, Kan WJ, Yu PX, et al. Anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2012 Sep;37(17):2618-21. PMID: 23236763.
