The effect of iron on metronidazole activity against Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro

Metronidazole is administered in an inactive form then activated to its cytotoxic form within the hydrogenosome of trichomonads. Two hydrogenosomal proteins, pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) and ferredoxin, play a critical role in the reductive activation of metronidazole. The expression of these proteins and other hydrogenosomal proteins are likewise positively regulated by iron. In the present study, the effect of iron on minimal lethal concentration (MLC) of metronidazole on in vitro cultured Trichomonas vaginalis(T. vaginalis) isolates was investigated. Interestingly, Addition of Ferrous ammonium sulphate (FAS) to T. vaginalis culture led to decrease in the MLC of metronidazole. On using aerobic assay, MLC of metronidazole on untreated T. vaginalis of both isolates was 12.5 μg/ml that decreased to 0.38 μg/ml on FAS treated trichomonads. Also anaerobic assay revealed that MLC on untreated parasites was 3.12 μg/ml that decreased to 0.097 μg/ml and 0.19 μg/ml for isolate 1 and isolate 2 respectively after iron addition. It was concluded that, addition of iron to in vitro cultured T. vaginalis decreases metronidazole MLC that was detected by both aerobic and anaerobic assays.