Ivermectin, levamisole and thymic extract for chemotherapy and immunostimulation of visceral leishmaniasis in hamsters and mice.

The anti-leishmanial activity of ivermectin, pentostam or combination of pentostam with either levamisole or thymic extract was tested against Leishmania donovani infection in hamsters and mice. In vitro peritoneal macrophage-parasite interaction, the effect of splenic cells on the interaction of macrophages and parasites, spleen weight, parasite burden in spleen tissue as well as the antibody titers using micro-ELISA were used as parameters for evaluating the efficacy of these chemotherapeutic regimens. Treatment with ivermectin and immunoenhancement with pentostam combined with levamisole gave best results in both animal models. Furthermore, regimens used in this work were all active in reducing phagocytosis of promastigotes by macrophages in vitro.