Abstract

MACHIN GALARZA, Laura; ALCANTAR SOCARRAS, Jorge Lázaro; GILLE, Lars  and  MONZOTE FIDALGO, Lianet. Artemisine efficacy in murine models of experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania amazonensis. Rev Cubana Med Trop [online]. 2022, vol.74, n.3  Epub Dec 01, 2022. ISSN 1561-3054.

The limited treatments available for leishmaniasis require the development of research for new therapeutic agents. One recommended strategy is the pharmacological repositioning, where artemisinin stands out as a possible candidate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential of artemisinin in two murine models of experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis. For this purpose, BALB/c (susceptible) and C57BL/6 (resistant) mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis were used. Oral or intralesional treatment was performed with five doses of artemisinin at 30 mg/kg every four days. Weight behavior, evolution of lesion size, and parasitic load were determined. In both animal models it was observed that treatment with artemisinin (oral and intralesional) decreased lesion size and parasitic load with respect to the untreated infected groups (p < 0.05), with no significant differences with respect to Glucantime® (p > 0.05). Orally treated C57BL/6 mice were the only ones able to control lesions until the end of the experiment. The in vivo efficacy of artemisinin in two models of cutaneous leishmaniasis induced by L. amazonensis is demonstrated and oral administration is highlighted in the control of the disease. Further development of this drug for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis is suggested.

Keywords : artemisinin; Leishmania amazonensis; cutaneous leishmaniasis; BALB/c; C57BL/6.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )