In vitro interaction between SURFACEN® and surfactant protein A against Leishmania amazonensis
Yuliannis Lugones Ladrón de Guevara1, Odalys Blanco Hidalgo, Roberto Faure
1Grupo de Química-Farmacología-Toxicología, Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Mayabeque, Cuba.
Abstract:
Leishmaniasis is caused by a parasite of the Leishmania genus, affecting more than 12 million people in 98 countries. The control of leishmaniasis remains a serious problem. There are currently no vaccines for leishmaniasis. The drugs available are toxic, expensive and frequently ineffective. The in vitro activity of SURFACEN® and SP-A against Leishmania amazonensis was evaluated. The combination of both products resulted in a synergic pharmacology effect, demonstrated by a fractional inhibitory concentration index <0.5. A more effective combination was a SURFACEN/SP-A ratio of 4:1, using a method of fixed ratio. The therapeutic effect of SURFACEN and SP-A as antileishmanial compounds was demonstrated, with a potentiation of activity when they were incubated in conjunction. Our results propose an exploration of these products in order to design new formulations against the Leishmania parasite.
