title: Evaluating the potential of polyester nanoparticles for per oral delivery of amphotericin B in treating visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: Leishmaniasis is a protozoan disease, which is responsible for response for major epidemics in many parts of the World. Amphotericin B (AMB) is one of the drugs used to treat leishmaniasis but it must be given intravenously and serious side effects such as nephrotoxicity can limit its use. Development of a formulation of AMB, which can be given by a non-invasive route but is still as effective as the conventional formulation, whilst causing minimal adverse side effects, is required. The present study describes a method for scale up production of a per oral nanoparticle formulation of AMB (AMB-NP) and compared its efficacy both in vitro and in vivo against Leishmania donovavni. Prophylactic studies showed that the AMB-NP formulation was significantly more effective (p < 0.05) than the same dose of AMB solution at suppressing parasite numbers compared to controls in bone marrow derived macrophages infected with L. donovani. Per oral treatment with AMB-NP resulted in a significant reduction in liver parasite burdens (p < 0.05) compared to control values and the formulation had a similar antileishmanial activity against parasites with different inherent susceptibilities to sodium stibogluconate.
authors.affiliation: Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Italia
authors.forename: M N V Ravi
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Carter
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D011091:Polyesters / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D011091:Polyesters; D000666:Amphotericin B