title: In Vitro Study on Cytotoxic Effects of ZnO Nanoparticles on Promastigote and Amastigote Forms of Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although pentavalent antimony compounds are used as antileishmanial drugs but they are associated with limitations and several adverse complications. Therefore, always effort to find a new and effective treatment is desired. In this study, the effect of ZnO nanoparticles with mean particle size of 20 nanometers (nm) on Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigotes was evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Viability percentage of promastigotes after adding different concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles (30, 60, 90 and 120 μg/ml) to the parasite culture was evaluated by MTT assay. In the flow cytometry study, Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis detection Kit was used to study the induced apoptosis and necrotic effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IC50 after 24 hours of incubation was 37.8 μg/ml. ZnO nanoparticles exert cytotoxic effects on promastigotes of L. major through the induction of apoptosis. A concentration of 120 μg/ml of ZnO nanoparticles induced 93.76% apoptosis in L. major after 72 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ZnO NPs can induce apoptosis in L. major by dose and time-depended manner in vitro condition.
authors: Dept. of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mahdi
authors: M
authors: Delavari
authors: Dept. of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Abdolhossein
authors: A
authors: Dalimi
authors: Dept. of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Ghaffarifar
authors: Dept. of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Javid
authors: J
authors: Sadraei
keywords: Amastigote; Apoptosis; Leishmania major; MTT assay; Promastigote; ZnO nanoparticles
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