title: Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica: I the in vitro effects of an immunomodulator, S2-Complex.
abstract: This study was undertaken to try to determine the possible anti-leishmanial activity of S2-Complex, an organic complex of copper chloride, ascorbic acid, and nicotinamide. The promastigotes, axenic amastigotes, and intracellular amastigotes of both Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica were incubated with different concentrations of S2-Complex. The EC50 for each form was calculated. Results show that all forms of the parasites were dose dependently inhibited by S2-Complex. The promastigotes of both parasites were the most resistant with highest EC50 followed by axenic amastigotes. While intracellular amastigotes were the most sensitive with the lowest EC50. These results indicate that S2-Complex has a direct anti-leishmanial effect. When mice were treated with S2-Complex or BCG for four days before harvesting the macrophages, and the macrophages infected with both L. major and L. tropica, they showed increased phagocytosis and increased parasite killing. The results of S2-Complex were not statistically different from the immunomodulating agent BCG. These results indicate that S2-Complex has an immunomodulating effect in addition to the direct anti-leishmanial effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, P.O. Box 61208, Baghdad 12114, Iraq.
authors.forename: Yassir M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Al-Mulla Hummadi
authors.forename: Rafid A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Najim
authors.forename: Nada M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Al-Bashir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D003300:Copper / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000187:drug effects*; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000187:drug effects*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009536:Niacinamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013213:Starch / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D003470:Culture Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D009536:Niacinamide; D003300:Copper; D013213:Starch; C028419:cuprous chloride; D001205:Ascorbic Acid