IJSR - International Journal of Scientific Research

GHUSOON A. ABD–AL– HUSSIEN; KHAWLA H. ZGHAIR

Volume : VI, Issue : XI, November - 2017

EFFECT OF MILTEFOSINE ON THE NUMBER OF LEISHMANIA DONOVANI AMASTIGOTE IN VL INFECTED MACROPHAGE IN VITRO

Ghusoon A. Abd Al Hussien, Khawla H. Zghair

Abstract :

Introduction:Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala–azar, is a diffuse protozoan infection caused by Leishmania donovani complex. VL is principally caused by L. donovani and L. infantum (synonym L. chagasi in South America). The parasite targets the reticulo–endothelial system, with penetration of the spleen, liver, bone marrow and lymph nodes lead to organomegaly and pancytopenia. Organic pentavalent antimonials have been the first–line drugs for the therapy of leishmaniasis for the latest six decades, and clinical resistance to these drugs has emerged as a primary obstacle to successful treatment and control. Miltefosine has been shown to be higher or equivalent to presently approved essential medicines for at least one of visceral, cutaneous or mucosal leishmaniasis.

Aim: The aim of this study is to clarify the effect of miltefosine on the number of amastigotes in the VL infected macrophage in vitro, in comparison to the effect of pentostam on the number of amastigote in the VL infected macrophage.

Materials & Method:Cells were plated in 96–well tissue culture plate, after incubation, adherent macrophages were infected with Leishmania donovani promastigotes. Infected macrophages were treated with the same concentration of pentostam and miltefosine (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 μM). Treated macrophages incubated for 24, 48, 72 hours, and then stained with Gimsa stain. The results of L. donovani infected macrophages show that there were a significant differences between the percentage of infection macrophages in all used concentrations of both drugs.

Results:The results show that after 24, 48, 72 hour of treating L. donovani infected macrophages with Sb or HePC, the number of infected macrophages and number of amastigote per macrophage started to decline clearly in the case of HePC, especially at high concentrations of it, in comparison to the number of infected macrophages in the case of Sb. Conclusion: This suggested that miltefosine could be a good therapeutic option for treating all forms of leishmaniasis, including visceral leishmaniasis.