Cantharidin-Induced Apoptosis in Leishmania Major Promastigotes and Macrophages Infected by Leishmania Major Amastigotes in Vitro

Background and

Leishmania is flagellated protozoa and causative agent of leishmaniosis that is most public health problem in some countries especially developing countries. Cantharidin is terpenoid component that exist in Meloidae and Oedomeridae beetles. Cantharidin is vesicant. It can induce apoptosis in cancerous cells. This study was performed with experimental design to determine the role of cantharidin in inducing apoptosis in the Leishmania promastigotes and macrophages infected with parasite.

In this study the effect of cantharidin with concentrations, 0.5-50 µg/mL on the L. major promastigotes and concentrations 5, 20 and 50 µg/mL on macrophages infected with L. major after 24, 48 and 72h was analysed by flow cytometry assay.

Results showed that cantharidin with concentrations 0.5 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL has 68.50% (as 63.23% apoptosis, 5.28% late apoptosis and 0% necrosis) and 14.29% cytotoxicity (as 13.12% apoptosis, 1.12% late apoptosis and 0.05% necrosis) in promastigotes after 72h respectively. Cytotoxicity of 50 µg/mL and 5 µg/mL cantharidin in infected macrophages after 48h was 61.81% (as 43.42% apoptosis, 1.27% late apoptosis and 17.11% necrosis) and 44.44% (as 31.05% apoptosis, 10.08% necrosis and 3.31% late apoptosis) respectively. Cytotoxicity of 50µg/mL and 5µg/mL cantharidin in non-infected macrophages after 48h was also 49.34% (as 21.35% apoptosis, 4.23% late apoptosis and 23.76% necrosis) and 43.79% (as 34.90% apoptosis, 7.27% necrosis and 1.61% late apoptosis) respectively.

Based on the results, it is obvious that cantharidin induces apoptosis in L. major promastigotes and macrophages infected with amastigotes in the time and dose-dependent manner.