Authors: Marion ManYing Chan Naga Suresh Adapala Dunne Fong
Publish Date: 2005/03/17
Volume: 96, Issue: 1, Pages: 49-56
Abstract
Upon Leishmania infection macrophages are activated to produce nitrogen and oxygen radicals simultaneously It is well established that the infected host cells rely on nitric oxide NO as the major weapon against the intracellular parasite In India where leishmaniasis is endemic the spice turmeric is used prolifically in food and for insect bites Curcumin the active principle of turmeric is a scavenger of NO This report shows that curcumin protects promastigotes and amastigotes of the visceral species Leishmania donovani and promastigotes of the cutaneous species L major against the actions of SnitrosoNacetylDLpenicillamine SNAP and DETANONOate which release NO 3morpholinosydnonimine hydrochloride SIN1 which releases NO and superoxide and peroxynitrite which is formed from the reaction of NO with superoxide Thus curcumin as an antioxidant is capable of blocking the action of both NO and NO congeners on the Leishmania parasiteWe thank Mr Harry Heverling for technical assistance and Dr Robert Herman for helpful comments on the manuscript This work was supported with a grant from the National Institutes of Health AI45555 to Marion Chan The study was performed in accordance with United States law
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