title: Effects of itraconazole and terbinafine on Leishmania major lesions in BALB/c mice.
abstract: The effects of two antifungal compounds, the azole itraconazole and the allylamine terbinafine, on Leishmania major infections in mice are reported. Sixty BALB/c mice were each inoculated subcutaneously with metacyclic promastigotes of L. major at the base of the tail. From 4 weeks post-inoculation, 40 of the mice were treated for 4 weeks (20 with itraconazole and 20 with terbinafine) and the rest were left untreated. Lesion sizes were estimated weekly for 10 weeks post-infection. Both drugs appeared effective in treating the cutaneous lesions but response to itraconazole was faster and, at the end of the experiment, the mean size of the lesions on the mice treated with itraconazole was smaller than that of the lesions on the terbinafine-treated mice.
authors.affiliation: Medical Technology Program, Faculty of Medicine & Allied Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. drzakai@hotmail.com
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Zakai
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Zimmo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000187:drug effects*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077291:Terbinafine; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D009281:Naphthalenes; D017964:Itraconazole; D000077291:Terbinafine