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Amphotericin B inhibits entry of Leishmania donovani into primary macrophages

Yamuna Devi Paila1, Bhaskar Saha, Amitabha Chattopadhyay

  • 1Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|August 4, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Amphotericin B

Area of Science:

  • Parasitology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania donovani.
  • The internalization mechanisms of Leishmania parasites are not fully understood.
  • Amphotericin B is a primary treatment for visceral leishmaniasis, targeting parasite ergosterol.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of Amphotericin B on Leishmania donovani binding to host macrophages.
  • To explore the role of host cell cholesterol in Amphotericin B's antileishmanial activity.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro studies examining the interaction between Amphotericin B, Leishmania donovani promastigotes, and host macrophages.
  • Assessment of Leishmania-macrophage binding in the presence of Amphotericin B-cholesterol complexes.

Main Results:

  • Amphotericin B's complexation with cholesterol significantly inhibits the binding of Leishmania donovani promastigotes to macrophages.
  • This study provides novel insights into the interaction between Amphotericin B, host cholesterol, and parasite binding.

Conclusions:

  • The effectiveness of Amphotericin B in treating visceral leishmaniasis may involve its interaction with host macrophage cholesterol, not just parasite ergosterol.
  • These findings suggest a potential reevaluation of the mechanisms underlying sterol-binding agent therapies for leishmaniasis.

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