Potential application of nanochitosan film as a therapeutic agent against cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. major.

Antileishmanial drugs traditionally used for treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis are mainly toxic, ineffective for some parasite isolates, and costly. Since chitosan is reported to accelerate wound healing, the aims of this study were to assess the effectiveness of nanochitosan films in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major (Iranian strain) and to investigate alterations of antioxidant enzyme activities and malondialdehyde levels. Six weeks after L. major inoculation, when lesions appeared at the base of the tail of 36 female Balb/c mice, treatment was initiated. Lesion sizes, parasite proliferation, histopathological changes, antioxidant enzyme activities, and malondialdehyde changes were evaluated in groups treated with nanochitosan film and groups treated with the combination of nanochitosan film and daily peritoneal injection of glucantime. There was no significant difference between nanochitosan and glucantime in reduction of lesion size. But, lesion sizes in the group that was treated with a combination of nanochitosan film and glucantime were significantly reduced from 2 weeks after treatment. The results of the present study showed that application of nanochitosan film increased the wound contraction rate, reepithelialization rate, and scar tissue formation, and its combination with glucantime significantly reduced lesion size and parasite loads. Nanochitosan films alone or in combination with glucantime enhanced glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity and decreased lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. The results of this work support the potential usefulness of nanochitosan as a therapeutic agent against cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. major.