Desenvolvimento de uma nova formulação tópica contendo 8- hidroxiquinolina (8-hqn) para o tratamento da leishmaniose tegumentar

Abstract

Leishmaniasis are infectious diseases transmitted by vectors and caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, and have the participation of several hosts susceptible to infection, such as man, in addition to some species of wild and domestic animals, such as the dog. In the context of neglected diseases, cutaneous leishmaniasis (TL) presents an emerging and re-emerging character in the national territory and in the world. The clinical features of this disease include a wide range of manifestations with different degrees of severity that depend on the species and virulence of the parasite, in addition to the immunological status of the infected individual. Currently, the drugs used in the treatment have limitations such as high toxicity, intravenous administration route and high treatment cost. In addition, due to the resistance of the parasites to the main drug available (Glucantime), associated with problems of diagnosis and monitoring in endemic areas, puts the disease control programs in Brazil at risk. Thus, several studies seek new therapeutic strategies in order to improve the effectiveness of the treatment of leishmaniasis. Thus, the present study used a topical formulation, containing 8-hydroquinoline (8-HQN), for the treatment of Balb/c mice infected with L. amazonensis for the treatment of TL. To assess the in vivo efficacy of the treatment, the mean diameter of the lesion was evaluated, as well as the parasitic load of the lesion, spleen, liver, bone marrow and lymph nodes, in addition to immunological parameters associated with the reatment. The groups treated with saline (control), vehicle ointment (CV) and the groups treated with the reference drugs Glucantime and Amphotericin-B were used as controls. The results showed that the animals treated with 8-HQN 5%, when compared to the controls, showed a reduction in the mean diameter of the lesion and also in the parasite load in the skin, spleen, liver, draining lymph nodes and bone marrow. The animals treated with the ointment showed a type 1 cellular immune response profile associated with the production of cytokines such as INF-γ and TNF-α in the analyzes performed by flow cytometry, in addition to the treatment not showing toxicity to mice. Therefore, the topical formulation containing 8-HQN 5% is a promising candidate in the topical treatment of TL and could be considered in the future as an alternative for the treatment of TL.