Atividade leishmanicida de derivados de quinolinas: 4-aminoquinolinas complexadas a esteroide e amodiaquina

Abstract

Current chemotherapy for leishmaniasis is far from ideal due to a number of problems such as high cost and high toxicity. Thus, there is an immediate need to obtain new drugs for the treatment the disease. In this context, quinoline derivatives have shown promising antileishmanial activity. In this study, we evaluated the activity of two distinct series of quinolines, six 4-aminoquinolines (4-AMQ) derivatives and their hybrids with steroid and nine amodiaquine (AQ) derivatives in different Leishmania species. Effect of the compounds was assayed against Leishmania promastigotes and amastigotes and mouse peritoneal macrophages. Results showed that the combination of 4-AMQ to the steroid resulted in a significant increase in activity mainly for L. major promastigotes and amastigotes forms. Compound 6 was the most active against L. major amastigotes with IC50 of 1.9 µM, being three times more effective than miltefosine. It was demonstrated in this work that the combination of two groups with large biological application as quinoline derivatives and steroids may be an interesting strategy for the rational development of new drugs. Regarding to the AQ derivatives, it was observed that all compounds were most active against Leishmania promastigote and amastigote forms. Among the nine compounds evaluated, six were more active against L. braziliensis amastigotes than the prototype AQ and miltefosine. Compound 8 with IC50 of 0.4 µM was about fourteen times more active than miltefosine. In general, the majority of 4-AMQ and AQ derivatives are more selective and specific for amastigotes of Leishmania sp, forms clinically relevant. Potential activity of the compounds evaluated can be considered an important advance in the study of this class of derivatives in order to develop new leishmanicidal drugs more effective, selective and nontoxic to the human host.