Therapeutic efficacy of butenafine nanomedicines in experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis

The production of ergosterol lipid, important for the Leishmania membrane homeostasis, involves different enzymes. This pathway can be blocked to azoles and allylamines drugs, such as the antifungal butenafine chloride. This drug was active (in vitro) against L. (L.) amazonensis and L. (V.) braziliensis, the etiological agents of anergic diffuse and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, respectively. Based on the leishmanicidal activity of butenafine and considering the absence of reports about the therapeutic potential of this drug in cutaneous leishmaniasis, the present work aimed at analyzing the efficacy of butenafine chloride formulated in two different topical delivery systems, such as self nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDD) and in a SNEDD-based nanogel as well as in the free form in murine cutaneous leishmaniasis. L. (L.) amazonensis infected BALB/c mice topically treated with SNEDD, nanogel or free butenafine during 15 days presented lesser lesion size and parasitism when compared with the control. Furthermore, animals treated with nanogel and free butenafine showed increased levels of IFN-gcytokine; histologically the skin of animals treated with nanogel and Glucantime were in healing process. In addition, the therapeutic potential of nanogel was similar with the potential of Glucantime. Based on these data, the antifungal drug butenafine chloride can be considered an interesting repurposed drug for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis