title: Reactive oxygen species production by quercetin causes the death of Leishmania amazonensis intracellular amastigotes.
abstract: The present study reports the mechanism of the antileishmanial activity of quercetin against the intracellular amastigote form of Leishmania amazonensis. Treatment with 1 reduced the infection index in L. amazonensis-infected macrophages in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC₅₀ value of 3.4 μM and a selectivity index of 16.8, and additionally increased ROS generation also in a dose-dependent manner. Quercetin has been described as a pro-oxidant that induces the production of reactive oxygen species, which can cause cell death. Taken together, these results suggest that ROS production plays a role in the mechanism of action of 1 in the control of intracellular amastigotes of L. amazonensis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatideos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Pavilhão Leônidas Deane, Manguinhos, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fonseca-Silva
authors.forename: Job D F
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Inacio
authors.forename: Marilene M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Canto-Cavalheiro
authors.forename: Elmo E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Almeida-Amaral
mesh_terms: D016923:Cell Death; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011794:Quercetin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011794:Quercetin