partially purified antigenic fractions of leishmania major promastigotes were obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate (sds-page) and electro-elution. three isolated protein fractions designated as frac tions (fr.) 1, 2, and 3 correspond to 40-60, 60-80, 80-100 kilodalton (kda) respectively. they were used for immunization of balb/c mice against leishmaniasis. the effects of these fractions on immune...

The in vitro metacyclogenesis of a visceral (VL) and cutaneous (CL) human strain of Leishmania infantum was monitored in order to find out the kinetics of this process and the in vitro infective capacity for macrophages of the metacyclic promastigotes developed. To identify, enumerate, and separate the metacyclic population, the complement-dependent lysis by normal serum and the agglutination b...

The leishmanioses, vector-borne diseases caused by the trypanosomatid protozoan Leishmania, are transmitted to susceptible mammals by infected phlebotomine sand flies that inoculate promastigotes into hemorrhagic pools created in host skin. We assumed that promastigotes are delivered to a blood pool, and analyzed early promastigote interactions (0-5 min) with host components, which lead to para...

Leishmania amazonensis is the causative agent of American cutaneous leishmaniasis, an important neglected tropical disease. Once Leishmania amazonensis is inoculated into the human host, promastigotes are exposed to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the dermis. However, little is known about the interaction between the ECM and Leishmania promastigotes. In this study we established L. amazonensi...

Background: Leishmania infection is a serious worldwide health concern that caused by various types of parasite genus. Current therapies for this disease, including pentavalent antimonial complexes, are not safe and do have enough efficacy. The Artemisia aucheri spring leaf extract has been reported to antimicrobial effects on variety pathogens. Objective: This study aimed find how A. affects t...

BACKGROUND Pteridine metabolic pathway is unusual features of Leishmania, which is necessary for the growth of parasite. Leishmania has evolved a complex and versatile pteridine salvage network which has the ability of scavenging a wide area of the conjugated and unconjugated pteridines especially folate and biopterin. In this study, we focus on the inhibition of ptr1 gene expression. METHODS...

The early cytokines production in response to live logarithmic and stationary phase promastigotes of Leishmania major was examined on the peripheral blood cells of the healthy individuals. Whole blood cultures were stimulated by either logarithmic or stationary phase promastigotes. IFN- and IL-10 productions were assessed by specific sandwich ELISA. The results showed that the logarithmic prom...

Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean Basin, where domestic dogs and wild canids are the main reservoirs. The promastigote stage replicates and develops within the gut of blood-sucking phlebotomine sand flies. Mature promastigotes are injected in the dermis of the mammalian host and differentiate into the amastigote stage wi...

Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania alternate between flagellated, elongated extracellular promastigotes found in insect vectors, and round-shaped amastigotes enclosed in phagolysosome-like Parasitophorous Vacuoles (PVs) of infected mammalian host cells. Leishmania amazonensis amastigotes occupy large PVs which may contain many parasites; in contrast, single amastigotes of Leishmania ma...

BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is a major parasitic disease in the tropical regions. However, Leishmania infantum has recently emerged as a very important cause of opportunistic infections for individuals positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, there is a lack of in vitro tests for assessing the effect of anti-parasitic drugs on the viability and proliferation of Leishmania infantum...