Topical Treatment of Leishmania tropica Infection Using (-)-α-Bisabolol Ointment in a Hamster Model: Effectiveness and Safety Assessment.
There is currently no reliable treatment for the management of cutaneous leishmaniasis, and intralesional antimonial injections remain the main treatment. The present work aims at evaluating the antileishmanial effectiveness and safety of (-)-α-bisabolol (1) in a novel topical formulation on a cutaneous leishmaniasis model involving Leishmania tropica-infected Syrian hamsters. The topical treatment with 1 reduced lesion thickness to 56% at 2.5%, showing a higher efficacy than the reference control, meglumine antimoniate. Other regimens (ointment at 1% and 5% and oral treatment at 200 mg/kg) reduced the footpad thickness as well. The skin parasite load decreased after the experiment in all treatment groups, particularly in those animals treated with the 2.5% formulation (83.2%). Treatment with (-)-α-bisabolol at different concentrations or through an oral route did not lead to the appearance of toxicity or side effects in healthy hamsters or infected animals. Therefore, topical (-)-α-bisabolol was more effective than meglumine antimoniate in this cutaneous leishmaniasis model without showing toxicity effects on the hamsters. These results are of great interest and might be used for the development of alternatives for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis, either in monotherapy or in combination with other drugs whose skin permeability could be enhanced by this sesquiterpene.
Victoriano
V
Corpas-López
Gemma
G
Merino-Espinosa
Margarita
M
López-Viota
Patricia
P
Gijón-Robles
María Jesús
MJ
Morillas-Mancilla
Vircell Microbiologist , S.L. Avicena 8, 18016, Granada, Spain.
Julian
J
López-Viota
Victoriano
V
Díaz-Sáez
Francisco
F
Morillas-Márquez
María Concepción
MC
Navarro Moll
Joaquina
J
Martín-Sánchez
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006224:Cricetinae; D065690:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000187:drug effects*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D015394:Molecular Structure; D000081222:Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012867:Skin; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D065690:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 Inhibitors; D000081222:Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C004497:bisabolol; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate