کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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3359583 | 1591832 | 2010 | 7 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by the protozoan Leishmania sp., affects 500 000 people annually, with the Indian subcontinent contributing a significant proportion of these cases. Emerging refractoriness to conventional antimony therapy has emphasised the need for safer yet effective antileishmanial drugs. Artemisinin, a widely used antimalarial, demonstrated anti-promastigote activity and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranged from 100 μM to 120 μM irrespective of Leishmania species studied. Leishmaniadonovani-infected macrophages demonstrated decreased production of nitrite as well as mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, which was normalised by artemisinin, indicating that it exerted both a direct parasiticidal activity as well as inducing a host protective response. Furthermore, in a BALB/c model of VL, orally administered artemisinin (10 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg body weight) effectively reduced both splenic weight and parasite burden, which was accompanied by a restoration of Th1 cytokines (interferon-gamma and interleukin-2). Taken together, these findings have delineated the therapeutic potential of artemisinin in experimental VL.
Journal: International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents - Volume 36, Issue 1, July 2010, Pages 43–49