Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lab test shows new compounds fight Leishmania in North American
By Rosypal, Alexa C et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2007·School of Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: In vitro activity of dicationic compounds against a North American foxhound isolate of Leishmania infantum.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A North American foxhound with canine leishmaniasis, a serious infection caused by the parasite Leishmania infantum, was studied to find better treatment options. Current medications often fail, leading to relapses in affected dogs. Researchers tested 35 new compounds and found that one, a reversed amidine, was significantly more effective than the standard treatment, pentamidine. This promising compound showed much stronger activity against the parasite, suggesting it could be a potential new treatment for dogs suffering from this disease. Further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness in real-world cases.
People also search for: dog leishmaniasis treatment · foxhound parasite infection · new medications for canine leishmaniasis
Abstract
Canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum is enzootic in the North American foxhound population. Currently available chemotherapy for canine leishmaniasis is not completely effective and relapses are common in treated dogs. Pentamidine and related aromatic diamidines possess broad spectrum antiprotozoal activity. The in vitro antileishmanial activities of 35 aromatic cationic molecules were determined, using pentamidine as the reference drug. The compounds were examined for activity against promastigotes of L. infantum isolated from a foxhound from Virginia. The compounds most active against Leishmania parasites were reversed amidines. Compound 9, a reversed amidine, exhibited the highest activity against L. infantum, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of 0.0042 microM compared with 14.2 microM for pentamidine. Antileishmanial activities of nine compounds were at least 1000-fold higher relative to the reference drug. Results from this study indicate that several pentamidine-related compounds warrant further investigation as possible new agents for the treatment of canine leishmaniasis.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17298866/