Study of the stress proteins secreted by Leishmania donovani after treatment with edelfosine, mitelfosine and ilmofosine, and morphological alterations analyzed by electronic microscopy

Abstract

We studied the stress proteins induced in protozoa Leishmania donovani after treatment with edelfosine, miltefosine and ilmofosine. We studied the morphological and structural modifications caused in the promastigote forms of the parasite after treatment with the three alkyl-lysophospholipids (ALPs). A resistant strain of L. donovani to miltefosine was obtained and the morphological modifications were observed. The stress proteins induction was studied in promastigote forms and also in amastigote-like forms obtained in vitro. The proteins synthesized with the three alkyl-lysophospholipids were compared to those obtained by heat shock. The axenic amastigote forms synthesized a pattern of different proteins for those observed in the promastigote forms. The morphological alterations were observed under electronic microscopy. The membrane and mitochondria were the organs most affected by the three ALPs. We noted an apparition of vacuoles and vesicles in the treated promastigotes. In the resistant strain, we noted myelin bodies in the treated and untreated parasites.

Keywords

• Leishmania donovani
• alkyl-lysophospholipids
• amastigote-like forms
• stress proteins
• morphological alteration
• electronic microscopy