Antimony determination in tissues and serum of hamsters infected with Leishmania garnhami and treated with meglumine antimoniate

Abstract

Hamsters were experimentally infected with Leishmania garnhami and then treated for 10 days with N-methyl-glucamine antimoniate (Glucantime®); 60 mg/kg/day by intramuscular (im) or intralesional (il) routes. Hydride generation-atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the concentrations of Sb^III and Sb^v in the blood serum and total Sb in the tissues of the hamsters from 1 to 30 days after initiation of the treatment. Serum concentrations of Sb^III and Sb^v were always similar. Total Sb concentrations were significantly higher in the relatively parasite-rich spleen and lesion than in any other tissue, whether treatment had been given im or il. Reduction of Sb^v to Sb^III is probably associated with decreasing size and healing of the leishmanial ulcers.

Tissue Sb kinetics is related to Leishmania behaviour and attention is drawn to the use of antimonial pentavalent compounds for diseases, other than leishmaniasis, that can affect the heart, liver and/or spleen, such as Chagas disease.