Cystoisosporosis is a leading diarrheal disease in suckling piglets. With the confirmation of resistance against the only available drug toltrazuril, there is a substantial need for novel therapeutics to combat the infection and its negative effects on animal health. In closely related apicomplexan species, bumped kinase inhibitors (BKIs) targeting calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (CDPK1) were shown to be effective in inhibiting host-cell invasion and parasite growth. Therefore, the gene coding for Cystoisospora suis CDPK1 ( Cs CDPK1) was identified and cloned to investigate activity and thermal stabilization of the recombinant Cs CDPK1 enzyme by BKI 1369. In this comprehensive study, the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of BKI 1369 in piglets experimentally infected with Cystoisospora suis (toltrazuril-sensitive, Wien-I and toltrazuril-resistant, Holland-I strains) were determined in vivo and in vitro using an established animal infection model and cell culture, respectively. BKI 1369 inhibited merozoite proliferation in intestinal porcine epithelial cells-1 (IPEC-1) by at least 50% at a concentration of 40 nM, and proliferation was almost completely inhibited (>95%) at 200 nM. Nonetheless, exposure of infected cultures to 200 nM BKI 1369 for five days did not induce structural alterations in surviving merozoites as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Five-day treatment with BKI 1369 (10 mg/kg BW twice a day) effectively suppressed oocyst excretion and diarrhea and improved body weight gains in treated piglets without obvious side effects for both toltrazuril-sensitive, Wien-I and resistant, Holland-I C. suis strains. The plasma concentration of BKI 1369 in piglets increased to 11.7 μM during treatment, suggesting constant drug accumulation and exposure of parasites to the drug. Therefore, oral applications of BKI 1369 could potentially be a therapeutic alternative against porcine cystoisosporosis. For use in pigs, future studies on BKI 1369 should be directed towards ease of drug handling and minimizing treatment frequencies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.