title: Finding of leishmanicidal activity of 14-hydroxylunularin in mice experimentally infected with Leishmania infantum.
abstract: In this study, we report the in vivo efficacy of 14-hydroxylunularin evaluated in BALB/c mice experimentally infected with promastigotes of Leishmania infantum (syn L. chagasi), the major causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in Latin America. Seven days post-infection, treatment with 14-hydroxylunularin started and it was administered by oral and subcutaneous routes in doses of 10 and 25 mg/kg of weight for ten days using Glucantime® as reference drug. In the liver, the evaluated compound showed parasite reduction above 90% by both administration routes being the oral route the most effective at both doses. Significant decreased numbers of parasites were also observed when the treated group was compared with the control group (p≤0.05). The subcutaneous route presented a remarkable difference with at least 80% parasite suppression in liver and spleen at 10 mg/kg dose and 90% in liver at 25 mg/kg. The leishmanicidal activity of 14-hydroxylunularin against L. infantum revealed by this study is another evidence in favor of this compound as a potential candidate for the development of a new oral treatment for leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Río de la Plata y Lagerenza, CC 2511, Asunción, Paraguay. Electronic address: elvsern@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ma Elva
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Serna
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Río de la Plata y Lagerenza, CC 2511, Asunción, Paraguay. Electronic address: mariselm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marisel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Río de la Plata y Lagerenza, CC 2511, Asunción, Paraguay. Electronic address: susitorres1@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Río de la Plata y Lagerenza, CC 2511, Asunción, Paraguay. Electronic address: aschinini@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schinini
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. Electronic address: alpeapo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alejandro Peixoto de Abreu
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. Electronic address: epandolf@fq.edu.uy.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pandolfi
authors.affiliation: Centro para el Desarrollo de la Investigación Científica (CEDIC/FMB/Díaz Gill Medicina Laboratorial), Asunción, Paraguay. Electronic address: rojasdearias@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Antonieta Rojas
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: de Arias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001632:Bibenzyls / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000187:drug effects*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: C533393:14-hydroxylunularin; D000871:Anthelmintics; D001632:Bibenzyls; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010636:Phenols; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate
keywords: 14-hydroxylunularin; BALB/c mice; Leishmania infantum