Marbofloxacin action in Leishmania chagasi amastigotes in mouse macrophage culture BALB/c

• Grant number: 15/09368-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2015
• End date: June 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Helio Langoni
• Grantee: João Francisco dos Anjos Alvarenga Amante
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is a systemic infectious disease difficult to treat. According to Brazilian law, it is forbidden to treat dogs with drugs used to treat humans, and as a way to control the CVL, it is recommended the sacrifice of positive animals. Some protocols have been established as an alternative therapy, to show that despite the apparent improvement of the animal, the Leishmania still remain in the body, despite a lower concentration. The marbofloxacin is a veterinary antibiotic, which seems to exert dose-dependent leishmanicidal power, especially with regard to its action in amastigotes within macrophages, primary target in studies with therapeutic agents.The project in question aims to assess precisely this leishmanicidal action of marbofloxacin on amastigotes engulfed by macrophages, which is one of the infective forms of the parasite, which makes a natural reservoir host. The study will be conducted in vitro by co-culture of macrophages obtained from BALB/c mouse amastigotes of Leishmania chagasi, marbofloxacin subjected to different concentrations and incubation times. These results will be important for further evaluation of the product to animals diagnosed with CVL, and thus increase knowledge about the drug, which depending on the results may serve as a possible alternative for the treatment of infected animals.