Leishmania species are intracellular protozoan parasites that spend a portion of their life cycle in the midgut of sand flies and the remainder in the tissues of mammals. These parasites, which cause a class of human disorders known as leishmaniasis, live mostly in macrophages, where they multiply and survive by employing a variety of defense mechanisms against the oxidative stress and acidity generated by these immune cells. To help control their reaction to heat stress, they also produce heat shock proteins. Furthermore, the promastigote form has a glycocalyx that is necessary for colonizing the gut wall of the sand fly and completing its life cycle. Consequently, a variety of virulence factors contribute to the parasite's pathogenicity. Clinical signs and symptoms vary depending on the species of Leishmania and the host's immune system. In cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, the symptoms may be limited to the skin, but if left untreated, they may spread to internal organs and be lethal.
It was recorded that Terpinen-4-ol has an anti-parasitic properties, so it will be noteworthy to intensify the studies about this compound.
This study aims to test the effectiveness of terpinen-4-ol on amastigote forms of Leishmania parasite in macrophages.
This effect was studied by adding increasing concentrations of Terpinen-4-ol to culture wells containing mouse macrophages that were previously incubated with the promastigote forms of the parasites for 24 hours .Then, they were incubated for another 24 hours with increasing concentrations of Terpinen-4-ol. After, Parasites were enumerated into macrophages in wells either treated with Terpinen-4-ol or in control wells.
Treatment with Ter
... Show MoreSphingolipids are key components of eukaryotic membranes, particularly the plasma membrane. The biosynthetic pathway for the formation of these lipid species is largely conserved. However, in contrast to mammals, which produce sphingomyelin, organisms such as the pathogenic fungi and protozoa synthesize inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC) as the primary phosphosphingolipid. The key step involves the reaction of ceramide and phosphatidylinositol catalysed by IPC synthase, an essential enzyme with no mammalian equivalent encoded by the AUR1 gene in yeast and recently identified functional orthologues in the pathogenic kinetoplastid protozoa. As such this enzyme represents a promising target for novel anti-fungal and anti-protozoal drugs. Given
... Show MoreKE Sharquie, JR Al-Rawi, AA Noaimi, MM Jabir, Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal, 2009
S Khalifa E, AR Jamal R, N Adil A, J Munqithe M…, 2009
Introduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is considered a parasitic contagion resulting from the flagellated parasite belonging to the genus of Leishmania. Also, cutaneous leishmaniasis is a zoonotic ailment transmitted through the bloodsucking sand-flies bite (belonging to the Phlebotomus genus). The disease's reservoirs included wild or semi-domesticated animals, in general rodents and dogs. Tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) is one of the extracellular matrix proteins that have a role in vessel wall degeneration and aneurysm development. In addition, it belongs to the zinc-dependent endopeptidases family that are involved in the degradation of connective tissues proteins which are included in vascular integrity maintenance. The Ge
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