title: Efficacy of the liposome trifluralin in the treatment of experimental canine leishmaniosis.
abstract: Liposomes are used as carriers to deliver drugs and to treat diseases where infection is localised in the mononuclear phagocyte system cells, as is the case of leishmaniosis. Trifluralin is a dinitroaniline with proved anti-Leishmania activity in vitro. The efficacy of liposomal trifluralin (LIP/TFL) was studied in the treatment of experimental canine leishmaniosis through quantification of parasite burden using the limiting dilution assay, follow-up of anti-Leishmania antibodies by indirect fluorescent immunoassay and cytokine expression by Reverse Transcriptase-PCR, in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, skin and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 5 female beagle dogs. After treatment, dogs showed a general remission of clinical signs related to parasite burden reduction and Th1 cytokine mRNA expression, but there was no significant decrease in antibody levels. Alternative treatment schemes with LIP/TFL are necessary to achieve optimal results.
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Leishmanioses and Centro de Malária e Outras Doenças Tropicais-Laboratório Associado. Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira 96, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carvalheiro
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jorge
authors.forename: M E M
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Santos-Gomes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014274:Trifluralin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014274:Trifluralin