In this study, we followed the genomic, lipidomic and metabolomic changes associated with the selection of miltefosine (MIL) resistance in two clinically derived Leishmania donovani strains with different inherent resistance to antimonial drugs (antimony sensitive strain Sb-S; and antimony resistant Sb-R). MIL-R was easily induced in both strains using the promastigote-stage, but a significant ...

Here we report the activity of liposomes comprising egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) and stearylamine (SA) against Leishmania donovani parasites. Both promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes in vitro and in vivo were susceptible to SA-PC liposomes. A single dose of 55 mg of SA-PC liposomes/animal could significantly reduce the hepatic parasite burden by 85 and 68% against recent and established...

Immune sera obtained from either BALB/c mice (susceptible) at 7 weeks, or C57BL/6 mice (resistant), at 7 weeks after infection with L. m. amazonensis, were effective in increasing internalization of homologous promastigotes into starch-induced peritoneal macrophages (from both mouse strains). Both the internalization enhancing effect and the levels of anti-leishmanial antibody (ELISA) were remo...

Protozoan hemoflagellates Leishmania are causative agents of leishmaniases and an important biological model for study of host-pathogen interaction. A wide range of methods of Leishmania cultivation on both biphasic and liquid media is available. Biphasic media are considered to be superior for initial isolation of the parasites and obtaining high promastigote infectivity; however, liquid media...

Plants used for traditional medicine contain a wide range of substances that can be used to treat various diseases such as infectious diseases. The present study was designed to evaluate the antileishmanial effects of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Myrtus communis against Leishmania tropica on an in vitro model. Antileishmanial effects of essential oil and methanolic extract of M. ...

BACKGROUND The present study aims to identify antigens in protein extracts of promastigote and amastigote-like Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi syn. L. (L.) infantum recognized by antibodies present in the sera of dogs with asymptomatic and symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis (VL). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Proteins recognized by sera samples were separated by two-dimensional electrophores...

Phytomonas spp. are digenetic (two host) flagellated protozoa isolated from plants, with a wide geographical distribution [1,2]. They have been found in 17 different families of plant and are believed to be transmitted by phytophagous hemipteran insects of the families Coreidae, Lygaeidae, Pyrrhocoridae and Pentatomidae [1–5]. Phytomonas spp. have been isolated from latex tubes of laticiferous ...

Leishmaniasis is a widely spread disease caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania. The unique life cycle of this parasite has two main stages of existence, amastigote and promastigote. The non-infective amastigotes, found in the primary host (example: human) when taken up by certain species of sand fly (Phlebotomine) whilst ingesting the blood of the infected person, were...

Promastigote forms of Phytomonas serpens, Leptomonas samueli, and Leishmania tarentolae express cytoskeletal giant proteins with apparent molecular masses of 3,500 kDa (Ps 3500), 2,500 kDa (Ls 2500), and 1,200 kDa (Lt 1200), respectively. Polyclonal antibodies to Lt 1200 and to Ps 3500 specifically recognize similar polypeptides of the same genera of parasite. In addition to reacting with giant...

The effect of pre- or posttreatment with glucan, a reticuloendothelial stimulant, on the course of Leishmania donovani infection was assessed in highly susceptible hamsters. Intravenous administration of glucan before or after L. donovani infection significantly suppressed proliferation of amastigote-stage parasites in liver and spleen. Glucan-activated peritoneal macrophages in vitro also sign...