ABSTRACT
Growth inhibition of Leishmania promastigotes by glucantime was compared in three different media. Glucantime inhibited the growth of Leishmania cultured in complex medium but did not affect parasite growth when added to cells cultured in defined or semi-defined media. Supplementation of the complex medium with biopterin partially reversed the glucantime effect in sensitive strains, although the addition of folic acid or oleic acid did not alter the activity of glucantime. Differences in fatty acid composition were observed between strains showing different degrees of glucantime susceptibility.
Subject(s)
Antimony/pharmacology , Antiprotozoal Agents/pharmacology , Leishmania/drug effects , Meglumine/pharmacology , Organometallic Compounds/pharmacology , Animals , Biopterins/pharmacology , Cell Division , Culture Media , Fatty Acids/analysis , Folic Acid/pharmacology , Leishmania/chemistry , Leishmania/growth & development , Leishmania braziliensis/chemistry , Leishmania braziliensis/drug effects , Leishmania braziliensis/growth & development , Leishmania guyanensis/chemistry , Leishmania guyanensis/drug effects , Leishmania guyanensis/growth & development , Meglumine Antimoniate , Oleic Acid , Oleic Acids/pharmacology , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
Growth inhibition in vitro tests were used to study the susceptibility to pentostam of different Leishmania strains involved in cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis--one glucantime sensitive strain, three naturally glucantime resistant strains and one glucantime resistant line developed by in vitro drug exposure. Contrasting with the high degree of glucantime resistance, all strains were sensitive to pentostam. These differences suggest that there is some relationship between chemical structure and in vitro activity for these antimonial compounds. These data justify a clinical re-evaluation to compare therapeutic efficacy of glucantime and pentostam in the treatment of leishmaniasis.
