Cantharidin-Induced Apoptosis in Leishmania Major Promastigotes and Macrophages Infected by Leishmania Major Amastigotes in Vitro

Background and purpose: Widespread use of pesticides in public health and agriculture has caused environmental pollution and increased risk of acute human poisonings. Diazinon is one of the most prevalent organophosphate pesticide (OPCs) in the world. Several studies suggest that organophosphate compounds cause oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Materials and methods: This study was performed on male Wistar rats weighing 200-250gr. The animals were randomly divided into 15 groups. Then, IP injection of diazinon, L-carnitine, and selenium was done for four weeks. Twenty four hours after last injection, the animals received ketamine anesthesia and liver tissue was removed and glutathione (GSH) levels were determined using Elman method. Results: The findings showed that diazinon decreased glutathione level, while L-carnitine in a dose-dependent manner increased GSH levels. Selenium at a dose of 0.5 mg /kg resulted in a significant increase in GSH level compared with diazinon alone (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Selenium and L-carnitine improve the body's antioxidant status against OPCs such as diazinon. Moreover, through increasing GSH levels they could have a role in detoxification of free radicals caused by diazinon.