Anti-leishmania Effect of Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles on Leishmania tropica/infantum and Leishmania-Infected Macrophages

Background: Leishmania is an intracellular protozoan parasite that enters and reproduces in macrophage cells. Macrophages are important immune cells that phagocyte many pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and parasites such as Leishmania spp. but are incapable of killing this parasite, living in the phagosomes of infected macrophages, multiplying, and resulting in the divesting of infected macrophages and the appearance of Leishmania lesions. Many of the present drugs for Leishmania treatment have side effects, or parasites have resistance to some of these drugs. Therefore, there is a need for a better drug for Leishmania treatment. Magnesium oxide (MgO) is a metal nanoparticle (NP) with numerous biological applications, including antioxidant and antimicrobial effects on various pathogens such as some bacteria, fungi, and parasites, including Leishmania spp. Objectives: Accordingly, this article has discussed the effects of MgO NPs on Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum and Leishmania-infected macrophages. Materials and Methods: The effect of various doses of MgO NPs on L. tropica and L. infantum promastigotes and amastigotes was studied in vitro. Flow cytometry and MTT were also utilized to assess the cytotoxic effects of MgO on L. tropica and L. infantum promastigotes, as well as the likelihood of apoptosis. Amastigote assay was employed to determine the infected macrophage percentage, and the number of parasites present in every macrophage cell. Results: The percentage of macrophages contaminated with amastigotes of L. tropica and L. infantum that were treated with MgO NPs was 15% and 11%, respectively. Flow cytometry revealed that MgO NPs induced approximately 38.56% and 30.5% apoptosis on L. tropica and Leishmania infantum, respectively. The half maximal inhibitory concentration of MgO NPs to L. tropica and L. infantum according to promastigote assay for 72 hours was 7.32 μg/mL and 12.58 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: According to the findings, MgO NPs had a great in-vitro fatality effect on L. tropica and L. infantum promastigotes and amastigotes (inside leishmania-infected macrophages).