Avaliação da atividade anti-leishmania induzida por complexos metálicos de cobre

Abstract

The American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is characterized as an infectious parasitic disease, not contagious, caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, which has a heteroxenic life cycle, alternating between hosts invertebrates and vertebrates. Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease, affecting 98 countries, estimated 1.3 million new cases each year. Patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis may present different clinical picture, namely: the cutaneous and mucocutaneous. The cutaneous form is the most frequent and widely distributed characterized by localized skin lesions, and can display a spontaneous healing above, depending on the host immune response and Leishmania species. The mucocutaneous form manifests as lesions in the mucosa, usually ulcerative and can produce disfiguring lesions. In Brazil leishmaniasis has become endemic, with notifications of cases of leishmaniasis in all states. The first-line drug used in Brazil is the pentavalent antimoniate N- methylglucamine ( Glucantime® ) and its management is done through daily injections. As second choice drugs are sodium stibogluconate (Pentostan®), pentamidine isethionate, amphotericin B, liposomal amphotericin B, miltefosine, among others. Although efficacy of these drugs usually present, some problems may be cited as the high toxicity which induces an array of side effects which often preclude treatment continuity and resistance of some species of Leishmania. In this context it is necessary to search for new compositions which have anti- Leishmania activity and low toxicity to the patient. Based on studies on the activity of metal complexes, especially with antitumor activity, we have seen the possibility of using such complexes for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Studies have demonstrated the potential to cover the treatment of disorders showing promising activity antimicrobial, antitumor and anti- inflammatory. This study aimed to evaluate the leishmanicidal activity six copper complexes against promastigote forms and amastigote Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and Leishmania ( Viannia) guyanensis , and the complexes [Cu(thp)4]PF6 and [Cu(PCN)(HBPz3] showed higher leishmanicidal activity, respectively.