title: Antileishmanial Activity of Liposomal Clarithromycin against Leishmania Major Promastigotes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a common parasitic disease which is endemic in some parts of the world. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown azithromycin efficacy on some Leishmania species. Because of structural similarity between clarithromycin and azithromycin and efficacy of clarithromycin against intracellular organisms and due to the absence of previous studies in this respect, we decided to evaluate the efficacy of clarithromycin against promastigotes of L. major in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, liposomal and non- liposomal clarithromycin were prepared, then both forms of the drug were incubated with promastigotes for 24 hr in NNN culture media without red phenol in the presence of 5% FCS with different concentrations as follows: 20, 40, 80, 100, 200 and 500 µg/ml.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the results, clarithromycin in both liposomal and non- liposomal forms has in vitro activity against the promastigotes of L. major. The concentration of drug that killed 50% of parasites (ED 50) was 169 and 253.6 µg/ml for liposomal and non- liposomal forms, respectively which shows that lower concentrations of liposomal drug are required to have the same effect as non- liposomal drug and the liposomal form of the drug is more effective than non- liposomal form.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clarithromycin in both liposomal and non- liposomal forms has in vitro activity against the promastigotes of L. major.
authors: Department and Research Centre of Medical Physics, Avicenna Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.
authors: Ameneh
authors: A
authors: Sazgarnia
authors: Naghmeh
authors: N
authors: Zabolinejad
authors: Pouran
authors: P
authors: Layegh
authors: Omid
authors: O
authors: Rajabi
authors: Fariba
authors: F
authors: Berenji
authors: Zari
authors: Z
authors: Javidi
authors: Roshanak
authors: R
authors: Salari
keywords: Clarithromycin; Leishmania major; Liposome; Promastigote
references: J Leukoc Biol. 1990 Feb;47(2):187-93
references: 2406358
references: J Antimicrob Chemother. 1990 Apr;25(4):708-11
references: 2161824
references: Arch Dermatol. 1998 Jun;134(6):671-2
references: 9645634
references: J Am Acad Dermatol. 1993 Jun;28(6):1019-21
references: 8496448
references: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1992 Nov;36(11):2454-7
references: 1489188
references: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2009 Jun;53(6):2259-65
references: 19223613
references: Curr Pharm Des. 2002;8(4):319-42
references: 11860369
references: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2008 May;78(5):745-9
references: 18458308
references: Clin Pharmacokinet. 1993 Sep;25(3):189-204
references: 8222460
references: Int J Dermatol. 1998 May;37(5):347-9
references: 9620480
references: Am J Med. 1987 May;82(5):907-14
references: 3578360
references: Micron. 2007;38(8):777-81
references: 17681473
references: Int J Dermatol. 1997 Dec;36(12):942-6
references: 9466207
references: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2002 Sep;67(3):273-7
references: 12408666