Adjunct effect of immunostimulating hexapeptide analogous to human beta-casein fragment (54-59) to sodium stibogluconate against experimental visceral leishmaniasis.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a major public health problem in many tropical countries of the world. The available chemotherapeutics require parenteral administration and have other limitations like cost, toxicity, variable efficacy or restricted supplies. There is no effective treatment for immunosuppressed patients with leishmaniasis- HIV co-infection. Hence, new therapies, that are effective when treatment with the currently available drugs fails, must be developed. One of the major strategies for effective and safe treatment of leishmaniasis and other infectious diseases, in the last decade, involves the use of immunomodulators as adjunct to chemotherapy. In this context, we studied the immunomodulatory activity of a hexapeptide Val-Glu-Pro-Ile-Gly-Tyr (CDRI compound 89-215) corresponding to (54-59) fragment of human beta-casein in mice and its efficacy in adjunct chemotherapy with SSG using L. donovani/hamster model. The hexapeptide was found to enhance both humoral and CMI responses. In animal model the hexapeptide per se showed no antileishmanial activity. However, when given alongwith suiboptimal dose of SSG, it enhanced the efficacy of SSG from 24% to 80%. The activity was very close to the efficacy (85%) recorded for curative dose of SSG. Adjunct chemotherapy with immunomodulator in visceral leishmaniasis appears to be a fruitful preposition.
Gupta
Suman
S
Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India. gupta_suman@yahoo.com
Srivastava
V M L
VM
Puri
Anju
A
Pandey
D
D
Haq
W
W
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002364:Caseins; D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D002364:Caseins; D009842:Oligopeptides; C502577:Val-Glu-Pro-Ile-Gly-Tyr; D005944:Glucosamine; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate