Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37682979›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

Antileishmanial potentials of azacitidine and along with meglumine antimoniate on Leishmania major: In silico prediction and in vitro analysis.

Ali Derakhshani, Iraj Sharifi, Ehsan Salarkia, Alireza Keyhani, Setareh Agha Kuchak Afshari, Behzad Iranmanesh, Mahdieh Lashkarizadeh, Hamid Nejad Biglari, Moslem Lari Najafi, Mehdi Bamorovat

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Effectiveness of harmaline along with meglumine antimoniate onVeterinary research forum : an international quarterly journal · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ali DerakhshaniResearch Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Iraj SharifiLeishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Ehsan SalarkiaLeishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Alireza KeyhaniLeishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Setareh Agha Kuchak AfshariMedical Mycology and Bacteriology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Behzad IranmaneshDepartment of Dermatology, Afzalipour Hospital, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Mahdieh LashkarizadehDepartment of Pathology and Stem Cell Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Hamid Nejad BiglariDepartment of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Moslem Lari NajafiPharmaceutical Sciences and Cosmetic Products Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Mehdi BamorovatLeishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-4900-4278
Kerman University of Medical Sciences · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the in vitro and in silico antileishmanial activity of azacitidine (AZA) on Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigotes. The in silico method was used to evaluate the possibility of the interaction of AZA into the binding pocket of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), a leading defensive oxidative metabolite. Following that, in vitro anti-promastigote, and anti-amastigote activity of AZA was determined using an MTT assay and a macrophage model, respectively. Cytotoxic effects of AZA and meglumine antimoniate (MA) were also assessed by MTT assay on murine macrophages. All experiments were performed in triplicate. The results showed that AZA interacted with Ser133, Gln134, and Lys13 amino acids of iNOS, and the molecular docking score was obtained at -241.053 kcal/mol. AZA in combination with MA significantly (P<0.001) inhibited the growth rate of nonclinical promastigote (IC50 247.6±7.3 μM) and 8.5-fold higher of clinical intramacrophage amastigote stage (29.8±5.3 μM), compared to the untreated group. A significant upsurge of Th1 subsets and transcription genes and a meaningful decline in Th2 cytokines subclasses at the equivalent concentrations of AZA and MA was observed (P<0.001). The apoptosis effect of AZA along with MA was significantly induced on L. major in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.001). The present study demonstrated that AZA possesses antileishmanial activity in in vitro and in silico models. However, AZA combined with MA was more effective than AZA alone in inhibiting the growth rate of promastigotes and amastigotes of L. major. This study indicates that AZA in combination with MA demonstrated a potent antileishmanial mechanism, promoting immune response and enhancing an immunomodulatory role toward the Th1 pathway. This experimental study is a basic study for applying more knowledge about the mechanisms of AZA along with MA in animal models in the future.

Indexed as

Antiprotozoal AgentsLeishmania majorAnimalsAzacitidineMeglumine AntimoniateMiceMolecular Docking SimulationAntiprotozoal AgentsAzacitidineMeglumine Antimoniate

Identifiers

PMID37682979
PMCPMC10490874
OpenAlexW4386554283

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.