Aim: To evaluate in vitro the effectiveness of several anti-infective agents alone and in combination\nagainst Leishmania donovani. Method: A convenient stratified sampling method was used to\nobtain selected anti-infective agents. For individual drug samples, Half Maximal Inhibitory Concentrations\n(IC50) were obtained using the broth dilution method. The IC50â��s of the drugs which\nwere active against L. donovani were used as reference values to prepare drug combinations for\nthe modified microdilution checkerboard method. Results: Five (5) out of the fifty-six (56) drugs\nused showed activity (inhibition of cell growth) against L. donovani cells. They include Quinine\nsulphate (IC50 = 0.089 �¼g/ml), gentamicin (IC50 = 8.1 �¼g/ml), amodiaquine (IC50 = 138 �¼g/ml) and\nthe two standard drugs: Amphotericin B (IC50 = 6.3 �¼g/ml) and Pentamidine (IC50 = 25 �¼g/ml). The\nremaining fifty-one (51) drugs did not show any inhibition within the range of concentrations\nused (1.25 - 160 �¼g/ml). The drug combinations of Pentamidine/Amodiaquine, Pentamidine/ Quinine\nsulphate, Pentamidine/Gentamicin, Amphotericin B/Quinine Sulphate, Amphotericin B/\nGentamicin, Amodiaquine/Quinine sulphate and Amodiaquine/Gentamicin showed synergistic\neffects against L. donovani whereas the Amphotericin B/Amodiaquine combination was antagonistic.\nNotable in the results obtained was the high effectiveness of quinine sulphate in inhibiting\nthe growth of L. donovani. Quinine sulphate, though not indicated for leishmania treatment, was\nmore effective than the two standard drugs and has a potential of playing a significant role in the\ntreatment of leishmaniasis. Conclusion: This study has revealed five (5) anti-infective agents that\nby themselves or in combinations show activity against L. donovani. Some of the drug combinations\nwhich showed synergism should further be investigated. These results have to be confirmed\nby in vivo studies to define their roles in leishmaniasis treatment.
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