Efficacy of pentamidine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles as a novel drug delivery system for Leishmania tropica

@#The present study compares the in vitro effects of nanoparticles loaded pentamidine drug and conventional pentamidine on Leishmania tropica. Herein, pentamidine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (PTN-CNPs) have been synthesized through an ionic gelation method with sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). Next, the physical characteristics of PTN-CNPs were determined through the surface texture, zeta potential, in vitro drug release, drug loading content (DLC), and encapsulation efficacy (EE) and compared its efficacy with free pentamidine (PTN) drug against promastigotes and axenic amastigotes forms of L. tropica in vitro. The PTN-CNPs displayed a spherical shape having a size of 88 nm, an almost negative surface charge (-3.09 mV), EE for PTN entrapment of 86%, and in vitro drug release of 92% after 36 h. In vitro antileishmanial activity of PTN-CNPs and free PTN was performed against Leishmania tropica KWH23 promastigote and axenic amastigote using 3-(4, 5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyletetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. It was observed that the effect of PTN-CNPs and free PTN on both forms of the parasite was dose and time dependent. Free PTN presented low efficacy even at higher dose (40 µg/ml) with 25.6 ± 1.3 and 26.5 ±1.4 mean viability rate of the promastigotes and axenic amastigotes, respectively after 72 hrs incubation. While PTN-CNPs showed strong antileishmanial effects on both forms of parasite with 16 ± 0.4 and 19 ± 0.7 mean viability rate at the same higher concentration (40 µg/ml) after 72 hrs incubation. Half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of PTN-CNPs toward promastigotes and amastigotes were obtained as 0.1375 µg/ml and 0.1910 µg/ml, respectively. In conclusion, PTN-CNPs effectively inhibited both forms of the L. tropica; however, its effect was more salient on promastigotes. This data indicates that the PTN-CNPs act as a target drug delivery system. However, further research is needed to support its efficacy in animal and human CL.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in El-Madinna Manowra region, Saudi Arabia in 2012.

Objective: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease causing major public health problem in form of visceral and cutaneous types. The cutanoue leishmaniasis is caused by L. tropica, in low-land areas without reservoir; Arthroponatic leishmaniasis (ACL), Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis ( ZCL), in high-land. This case report involved; 25 years old Egyptian active young single male adult, stayed in Utama (75 Km far from El-Madina Manowra on the road to Makkah). He presented with three skin lesions on his arms occurred within the last 1-3 months. on examination revealed; volcano- like indurated ulcers which clinically suspected as leishmania lesions. Materials and Methods: Laboratory investigations were involved; skin smear using Giemsa stain, Leishmanin test (LST), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequencing and phylogenitic analysis BLAST (NCBI). Results: Microscopy positive LDB (leishmanin donovani bodies), Leishmanin test (LST) was negative. PCR positive L. major. Sequence alignment were 100% with nine Iranian isolates and one Tunisian isolate. After one month of treatment with Pentostam (Sodium stibogluconate) local injections at the site of lesions the lesion progressed from ulcer to scar. Conclusion: L. major is a major species causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Al-Medina Manowra region in Saudi Arabia. The usage of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a useful diagnostic tool and help to identify the causative species.