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Activity of synthetic chalcones in hamsters experimentally infected with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the toxicity of synthetic chalcones 1 and 2 in uninfected hamsters and anti-Leishmania activity of synthetic chalcones 1 and 2 in hamsters infected with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. For the toxicity test, uninfected animals were treated with chalcones 1 and 2, and clinical and biochemical parameters and histological aspects of the liver and kidneys were assessed. Chalcones 1 and 2 were then intraperitoneally or topically administered (10 mg/kg body weight) three times per week in animals infected with promastigotes of L. (V.) braziliensis. We monitored the thickness of the infected footpads, determined parasitic load, performed histological analysis, and detected apoptosis in situ. The results were analyzed using Student’s t test and Mann-Whitney test at a significance level of 5 %. Neither of the chalcones showed toxicity. Chalcone 2 administered intraperitoneally significantly reduced the thickness of the infected footpad compared with the beginning of treatment. The parasite load of the lymph node and spleen was reduced in the groups treated with chalcones 1 (topical) and 2 (intraperitoneal). Chalcone 2 (topical) reduced parasite burden only in the lymph node. The histological analysis revealed reconstitution of the tissue and reductions of inflammation and apoptosis in the infected footpad in these groups. The synthetic chalcones 1 (topical) and 2 (intraperitoneal and topical) at a dose of 10 mg/kg showed anti-Leishmania activity in vivo, no renal or hepatic toxicity, and a reduction of apoptosis of the cells in the lesions. These chalcones may have substantial potential for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Laboratório de Ensino e Pesquisa em Análises Clínicas (LEPAC) of Universidade Estadual de Maringá for performing the biochemical tests. This work was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Fundação Araucária, and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with Ethics Committee on Animal Use in Experimentation of the Universidade Estadual de Maringá (Report No. 099/2010).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Brazil

    Tatiane F. P. de Mello & Bruna M. Cardoso

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociências e Fisiopatologia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Brazil

    Sara N. Lopes

  3. Faculdade de Química, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil

    Heriberto R. Bitencourt

  4. Centro de Controle de Zoonoses, Maringá, Brazil

    Evandra M. Voltarelli

  5. Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Brazil

    Luzmarina Hernandes

  6. Laboratório de Imunologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Biomedicina, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Brazil

    Sandra M. A. Aristides, Maria V. C. Lonardoni & Thais G. V. Silveira

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  1. Tatiane F. P. de Mello
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  2. Bruna M. Cardoso
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  9. Thais G. V. Silveira
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Correspondence to Thais G. V. Silveira.

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de Mello, T.F.P., Cardoso, B.M., Lopes, S.N. et al. Activity of synthetic chalcones in hamsters experimentally infected with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis . Parasitol Res 114, 3587–3600 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4581-1

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