Evaluation of photodynamic therapy action in Leishmania sp.: in vitro study

• Grant number: 13/12284-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2013
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Radiology and Photobiology
• Principal Investigator: Juliana Ferreira Strixino
• Grantee: Juliana Ferreira Strixino
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (IP&D). Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Cristina Kurachi ; Isabelle Ferreira ; Josane Mittmann ; Leandro José Raniero ; Marco Antonio de Oliveira

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is infectious diseases caused by the Leishmania protozoa by the genus Leishmania that present two evolutive ways: one flagellate form, the promastigote, responsabe for infect and a not flagellate form, the amastigote, form in that parasite multiplies at the host. This disease could manifest in three different forms: cutaneous, mucocutaneous or visceral, being the last one the most agressive form. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is present in 80 countrys and is considerated by World health organization a public health problem with estimative for 65.000 new cases at year in Brazil that is the country with biggest prevalence in the american continent. Conventional treatment is performed with antimonials, Pentamidines and antibiotics however these treatments are agressive to the patient leading to several side effects as nausea, vomit and myalgia. Photodynamic therapy associates a photosensitive substance with a light source and tissue oxygen to induce formation of reactive oxygen species leading to a death of target cells by apoptosis. It's a attractive alternative to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis due to selectivity of the treatment field enabling to treat each wound individually without the impact caused when the patient is treated with conventional drugs administered systemically. The aim of this study is to test the phototoxic effect of chlorin, porphyrin, azulene and curcumin in Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes and co-cultive with macrophages and parasites, using confocal microscopy, scanning and transmission microscopy, besides the morphological analysis and FT-IR, to verify the potential those compounds to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis and in the future performe in vivo tests if the in vitro results were favorable. (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FAGUNDES, JACIARA; SAKANE, KUMIKO KOIBUCHI; BHATTACHARJEE, TANMOY; PINTO, JULIANA GUERRA; FERREIRA, ISABELLE; RANIERO, LEANDRO JOSE; FERREIRA-STRIXINO, JULIANA. Evaluation of photodynamic therapy with methylene blue, by the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) in Leishmania major - in vitro. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY, v. 207, p. 229-235, JAN 15 2019. (13/12284-3)

PINTO, JULIANA G.; MARCOLINO, LUCIANA M. C.; FERREIRA-STRIXINO, JULIANA. Photodynamic activity of Photogem(R) in Leishmania promastigotes and infected macrophages. FUTURE MICROBIOLOGY, v. 16, n. 2, JAN 2021. (13/07276-1, 13/12284-3, 16/12211-4)

PINTO, JULIANA GUERRA; CORREIA PEREIRA, ANDRE HENRIQUE; DE OLIVEIRA, MARCO ANTONIO; KURACHI, CRISTINA; RANIERO, LEANDRO JOSE; FERREIRA-STRIXINO, JULIANA. Chlorin E6 phototoxicity in L. major and L. braziliensis promastigotes-In vitro study. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, v. 15, p. 19-24, SEP 2016. (13/12284-3)

PINTO, JULIANA GUERRA; DE SOUZA MARTINS, JACIARA FAGUNDES; CORREIA PEREIRA, ANDRE HENRIQUE; MITTMANN, JOSANE; RANIERO, LEANDRO JOSE; FERREIRA-STRIXINO, JULIANA. Evaluation of methylene blue as photosensitizer in promastigotes of Leishmania major and Leishmania braziliensis. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, v. 18, p. 325-330, JUN 2017. (13/12284-3)

CORREIA PEREIRA, ANDRE HENRIQUE; PINTO, JULIANA GUERRA; ALVES FREITAS, MIRIAN APARECIDA; FONTANA, LETICIA CORREA; SOARES, CRISTINA PACHECO; FERREIRA-STRIXINO, JULIANA. Methylene blue internalization and photodynamic action against clinical and ATCC Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphyloccocus aureus strains. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, v. 22, p. 43-50, JUN 2018. (13/12284-3)