EFFECT OF LEISHMANIA-DONOVANI ANTIGENS ON SUPEROXIDE ACTION GENERATION BY MICE POLYMORPH IN-VITRO

The present study was planned to study the effect of priming of BALB/c mice peritoneal polymorphs (PMNLs) by viable, heat killed and formali ne fixed promastigotes of L. donovani and soluble extract of proteins of L. donovani promastigotes on their capacity to produce toxic oxygen radicals (TOR). TOR production was measured by superoxide dismutase ( SOD), inhibitable cytochrome C reduction and nitroblue tetrazolium red uction tests. No significant stimulation or inhibition in SOD inhibita ble cytochrome C reduction and nitroblue tetrazolium reduction was see n when PMNLs were primed by soluble leishmanial protein, and formalin fixed and denatured promastigotes for both 60 and 90 min. Priming of B ALB/c mice peritoneal polymorphs with live promastigotes of L. donovan i for more than 60 min produced approximately 30 per cent inhibition i n superoxide generation as measured by both the tests (P < 0.05). The inhibition in superoxide generation by polymorphs may be one of the im portant escape mechanisms in the causation of the visceral leishmanias is.