title: Silver nanoparticles and electroporation: Their combinational effect on Leishmania major.
abstract: Leishmaniasis is an emerging and uncontrolled disease. The use of routine drugs has been limited due to proven side effects and drug resistance. Interestingly, novel approaches such as nanotechnology have been applied as a therapeutic modality. Silver nanoparticles have shown antileishmanial effects but because of their nonspecific and toxic effects on normal cells, their use has been limited. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that electric pulses induce electropores on cell membranes resulting in higher entrance of certain molecules into cells. There is a hypothesis proposing that use of electroporation and silver nanoparticles simultaneously can induce greater accumulation of particles in infected cells, besides higher toxicity. In this study, after applying electric pulses with different concentrations of silver nanoparticles (SNPs), cell survival rate was determined by standard viability assays. On the basis of these data, 2 μg/ml of SNPs and 700 V/cm with 100 μs duration of electroporation were selected as the non-lethal condition. Promastigotes and infected macrophage cells received both treatments and the survival percentage and Infection Index were calculated. In parasites and cells receiving both treatments, higher toxicity was observed in comparison to each treatment given individually, showing a synergic effect on promastigotes. Therefore, application of electric pulses could overcome limitations in using the antileishmanial properties of silver nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dolat
authors.affiliation: Faculty of pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rajabi
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Samaneh Soudmand
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Salarabadi
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Sajedeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yadegari-Dehkordi
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ameneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sazgarnia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D018274:Electroporation; D005260:Female; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D051379:Mice; D010539:Permeability; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D012834:Silver
keywords: amastigote; electric pulse; leishmaniasis; promastigote; silver nanoparticles