Effect of tamoxifen on the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway in the different intraerythrocytic stages of the apicomplexa Plasmodium falciparum

Highlights: • The different intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum were treated with tamoxifen. • Analysis of labelled sphingolipids was performed by TLC, HPLC and UV-MALDI-TOF m. s. • Tamoxifen inhibits GCS and SM synthase although in a stage dependent way. • The accumulation of PI indicates an inhibitory action on GPI synthesis. • The differential effect on SLs with DHcer or Cer indicate they do not interconvert. Parasites of the genus Plasmodium responsible for Malaria are obligate intracellular pathogens residing in mammalian red blood cells, hepatocytes, or mosquito midgut epithelial cells. Regarding that detailed knowledge on the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway of the apicomplexan protozoan parasites is scarce, different stages of Plasmodium falciparum were treated with tamoxifen in order to evaluate the effects of this drug on the glycosphingolipid biosynthesis. Thin layer chromatography, High performance reverse phase chromatography and UV-MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry were the tools used for the analysis. In the ring forms, the increase of NBD-phosphatidyl inositol biosynthesis was notorious but differences at NBD-GlcCer levels were undetectable. In trophozoite forms, an abrupt decrease of NBD-acylated GlcDHCer and NBD-GlcDHCer in addition to an increase of NBD-PC biosynthesis was observed. On the contrary, in schizonts, tamoxifen seems not to be producing substantial changes in lipid biosynthesis. Our findings indicate that in this parasite, tamoxifen is exerting an inhibitory action on Glucosylceramidesynthase and sphingomyelin synthase levels. Moreover, regarding that Plasmodium does not biosynthesize inositolphosphoceramides, the accumulation of phosphatidylinositol should indicate an inhibitory action on glycosylinositol phospholipid synthesis.