Toxicity and Antileishmanial Activity of a New StableLipid Suspension of AmphotericinB

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to evaluate the toxicity and the activity of a new lipid complex formulation of amphotericin B (AMB) (LC-AMB; dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine, dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol, and AMB) that can be produced by a simple process. Like other lipid formulations, this new complex reduced both the hemolytic activity of AMB (the concentration causing 50% hemolysis of human erythrocytes, >100 μg/ml) and its toxicity toward murine peritoneal macrophages (50% inhibitory concentration, >100 μg/ml at 24 h). The in vivo toxicity of the new formulation (50% lethal dose,> 200 mg/kg of body weight for CD1 mice) was similar to those of other commercial lipid formulations of AMB. The complex was the most effective formulation against the DD8 strain of Leishmania donovani . It was unable to reverse the resistance of an AMB-resistant L. donovani strain. In vivo LC-AMB was less efficient than AmBisome against L. donovani .