effect of garlic extract on cutaneous leishmaniasis and the role of nitric oxide

background: the production of nitric oxide (no) is important in the final outcome of leishmaniasis in animal models. objective: the efficacy of garlic therapy and a combination of garlic and vitamin a were compared with an antimonial drug (glucantime) to assess healing and regulation of no release in mice infected with leishmania major . methods: the mice were subjected to 3 ´ 10 5 promastigotes and allowed to induce a lesion.  the mice were treated with above compounds twice a day for 45 days. the diameter of the lesion was measured on days 1, 10, 20, 30 and 45.  in a separate experiment, no release by peritoneal macrophages was measured. results: the diameter of lesion was reduced by aqueous extract of garlic within 30 days of treatment.  however, the maximum reduction was induced when mice were subjected to vitamin a for 10 days before the administration of the aqueous extract for 30 days.  a significant correlation between healing and the amount of no release was also found. conclusion:   a combination of aqueous extract of garlic and vitamin a can treat leishmanisis.