Effect of natural naphthoquinones in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis and L. venezuelensis.
Plumbagin, 3,3'-biplumbagin and 8,8'-biplumbagin are naphthoquinones isolated by activity-directed fractionation from a Bolivian plant, Pera benensis, used in folk medicine as treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania braziliensis. BALB/c mice were infected with L. mexicana or L. venezuelensis and treated 24 h after the parasitic infection with plumbagin (5 or 2.5 mg/kg/day), 3,3'-biplumbagin, 8,8'-biplumbagin (25 mg/kg/d) or Glucantime (200 mg/kg/d). Lesion development was the criteria employed to evaluate the inhibitory effect. The bis-naphthoquinones were less potent than Glucantime against L. amazonensis and L. venezuelensis. Plubagin and Glucantime delayed the development of L. amazonensis and L. venezuelensis. Assays of a single local treatment on foot-pad infection two weeks after the parasitic inoculation with L. amazonensis showed that 8,8'-biplumbagin (50 mg/kg/d) was as potent as Glucantime (400 mg/kg/d).
Fournet
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A
Institut Franłcais de Recherche Scientifique pour le Dévelopement en Coopération (ORSTOM), Département Santé, Paris, France.
Barrios
A A
AA
Muñoz
V
V
Hocquemiller
R
R
Cavé
A
A
D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007897:Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010936:Plant Extracts; C079947:8,8'-biplumbagin; C079946:3,3'-biplumbagin; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; C014758:plumbagin