اثر لوامیزول بر مهار لیشمانیا ماژور در موش BALB/c

Background and purpose: The infection of Leishmania major in BÂLB/c mice can be visceralized if no treatment is administrated. The mamalian host cells are macrophages that are responsible for ingestion and killing of the parasites. Since leishmaniasis is an immunosuppressive disease, it has been shown that levamisole acts as an immuno-potentiator agent, attempts were made to study the effect of levamisole on the course of visceral lieshmaniasis in BÂLB/c mice infected with L.major. Materials and methods: Levamisole is administrated i.p. (1,2.5 and 5 mg/kg) 4hr before and 2 weeks after the challenge .The lesion size, delayed type hypersensitivity and parasite ingestion by macrophages were assessed. Results: Ït was shown that levamisole significantly reduced the lesion size and mortality in treated mice. Ïn addition, it was demonstrated that parasite uptake was increased in mice receiving 2.5 mg/kg levamisole Çonclusion: Çonclusively, in this study it was shown that levamisole is able to control visceral leishmaniasis caused by L. major in BÂLB/c mice.