Antileishmanial activity of licochalcone A in mice infected with Leishmania major and in hamsters infected with Leishmania donovani

TY - JOUR

T1 - Antileishmanial activity of licochalcone A in mice infected with Leishmania major and in hamsters infected with Leishmania donovani

AU - Chen, M

AU - Christensen, S B

AU - Theander, T G

AU - Kharazmi, A

N1 - Keywords: Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents; Chalcone; Chalcones; Cricetinae; Female; Leishmania donovani; Leishmania major; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Liver; Male; Mesocricetus; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Spleen

PY - 1994

Y1 - 1994

N2 - This study was designed to examine the antileishmanial activity of the oxygenated chalcone licochalcone A in mice and hamsters infected with Leishmania parasites. Intraperitoneal administration of licochalcone A at doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg of body weight per day completely prevented lesion development in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania major. Treatment of hamsters infected with L. donovani with intraperitoneal administration of licochalcone A at a dose of 20 mg/kg of body weight per day for 6 consecutive days resulted in a > 96% reduction of parasite load in the liver and the spleen compared with values for untreated control animals. The [3H]thymidine uptake by the parasites isolated from the treated hamsters was only about 1% of that observed in parasites isolated from the controls. Oral administration of licochalcone A at concentrations of 5 to 150 mg/kg of body weight per day for 6 consecutive days resulted in > 65 and 85% reductions of L. donovani parasite loads in the liver and the spleen, respectively, compared with those of untreated control hamsters. These data clearly demonstrate that licochalcone A is a promising lead for the development of a new drug against leishmaniases.

AB - This study was designed to examine the antileishmanial activity of the oxygenated chalcone licochalcone A in mice and hamsters infected with Leishmania parasites. Intraperitoneal administration of licochalcone A at doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg of body weight per day completely prevented lesion development in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania major. Treatment of hamsters infected with L. donovani with intraperitoneal administration of licochalcone A at a dose of 20 mg/kg of body weight per day for 6 consecutive days resulted in a > 96% reduction of parasite load in the liver and the spleen compared with values for untreated control animals. The [3H]thymidine uptake by the parasites isolated from the treated hamsters was only about 1% of that observed in parasites isolated from the controls. Oral administration of licochalcone A at concentrations of 5 to 150 mg/kg of body weight per day for 6 consecutive days resulted in > 65 and 85% reductions of L. donovani parasite loads in the liver and the spleen, respectively, compared with those of untreated control hamsters. These data clearly demonstrate that licochalcone A is a promising lead for the development of a new drug against leishmaniases.

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 8092835

SN - 0066-4804

VL - 38

SP - 1339

EP - 1344

JO - Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

JF - Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

IS - 6

ER -