title: Effects of combined therapy with thalidomide and glucantime on leishmaniasis induced by Leishmania major in BALB/c mice.
abstract: For treating Leishmania major infection in BALB/c mice, we used thalidomide in conjunction with glucantime. Groups of mice were challenged with 510(3) metacyclic promastigotes of L. major subcutaneously. A week after the challenge, drug treatment was started and continued for 12 days. Thalidomide was orally administrated 30 mg/kg/day and glucantime was administrated intraperitoneally (200 mg/kg/day). It was shown that the combined therapy is more effective than single therapies with each one of the drugs since the foot pad swelling in the group of mice received thalidomide and glucantime was significantly decreased (0.9 +/- 0.2 mm) compared to mice treated with either glucantime, thalidomide, or carrier alone (1.2 +/- 0.25, 1.4 +/- 0.3, and 1.7 +/- 0.27 mm, respectively). Cytokine study showed that the effect of thalidomide was not dependent on IL-12; however, it up-regulated IFN-gamma and down-regulated IL-10 production. Conclusively, thalidomide seems promising as a conjunctive therapy with antimony in murine model of visceral leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
authors.forename: Ghassem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Solgi
authors.forename: Amina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kariminia
authors.forename: Khossor
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abdi
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Darabi
authors.forename: Behnaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ghareghozloo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000187:drug effects*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008536:Meglumine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D013792:Thalidomide; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D007371:Interferon-gamma