The protozoan parasite Leishmania is an intracellular pathogen infecting and replicating inside vertebrate host macrophages. A recent model suggests that promastigote and amastigote forms of the parasite mimic mammalian apoptotic cells by exposing phosphatidylserine (PS) at the cell surface to trigger their phagocytic uptake into host macrophages. PS presentation at the cell surface is typicall...

In this study the anti-proliferative effect of curcumin (curcuma longa) that is the active ingredient of ground dried rhizome has been studied against three local and three reference leishmanial strains, Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum (Pakistani isolate). Curcumin has shown an average IC50 of 5.3 microM against promastigotes of various leishmanial strains which is ...

A series of eight substituted bis-2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives was synthesized through lawsone condensation with various aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes under mild acidic conditions. The title compounds were evaluated for antileishmanial activity in vitro against Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes; six compounds showed good activity without significant...

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease produced by the intracellular protozoan parasite Leishmania. In the present study, we show that LABCG2, a new ATP-binding cassette half-transporter (ABCG subfamily) from Leishmania, is involved in parasite virulence. Down-regulation of LABCG2 function upon expression of an inactive mutant version of this half-transporter (LABCG2(K/M)) is shown to reduce the ...

The dewaxed dichloromethane extract of Urolepis hecatantha and the compounds isolated from it were tested for their in vitro activity on Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes Leishmania infantum promastigotes. U. showed against both parasites with IC50 values 7 µg/mL 31 µg/mL, respectively. Fractionation led to isolation euparin, jaceidin, santhemoidin C, eucannabinolide. sesquiterpene lactones eucan...

Background and objective: Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoa of Leishmania genus and can be considered as a Zoonosis. The desease has caused the world health problems with high endemicity in developing countries such as Iran. Various chemical drugs have been used for leishmaniasis treatment, but their side effects and drug resistance haveled to look for new effective compounds. Medicago lupuli...

Visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. The molecular mechanism involved in internalization of Leishmania is poorly understood. The entry of Leishmania involves interaction with the plasma membrane of host cells. We have previously demonstrated the requirement of host membrane cholesterol in the binding and int...

Neutrophils are multifaceted cells that, upon activation, release meshes of chromatin associated with different proteins, known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes and amastigotes induce NET release, we have identified the signaling pathways involved in extrusion activated by promastigotes. Amastigotes maintain infection vertebrate hosts, shown associa...

The fusion of SP2/0 myeloma cells with spleen cells from mice immunized with Leishmania mexicana amazonensis promastigotes produced hybridoma clones. Indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay with live leishmanias showed that the monoclonal antibody 6H12 recognized only the antigens bound to the surface of L. mexicana amazonensis promastigotes. It also showed that the antibody bound to neither ...

Due to the limited availability of effective pharmaceutical products and serious side effects of the available therapy for leishmaniasis, search for useful medicinal plants is necessary. Previous studies reported preventative effect of Echinacea against Leishmania infections through immunologic stimulation. Here we tested concentrated ethanolic extract of the root of Echinacea purpurea prepared...