Ação de novos complexos de rutênio(II): efeitos citotóxicos em Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis

Abstract

Considered a zoonosis acquired in tropical areas, Leishmaniasis affects an average of 1.3 million individuals per year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Therefore, the disease is endemic in the world because of the neglected nature of the disease. Still, the number of cases tends to increase, and for the moment, it reaches 98 countries. The parasite acts intracellularly, impacting the body in a way that causes physical and psychological damage and, if the disease is not treated, there is a risk that the patient will die. In this sense, one of the problems encountered is the drugs currently available for the treatment of the disease, which present high cost, resistance by the parasite and adverse effects to the patient. Thus, ruthenium complexes (II) with potential use for the treatment of the disease appear within the scope of the therapy. In this work, the cytotoxic effects of 3 new ruthenium (II) complexes, called E2, E3 and E4, as well as the precursor molecule (E) for the synthesis of these new complexes, were analyzed in promastigote forms of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, by means of the MTT assay. The results showed that all 3 new complexes presented cytotoxic potential against the parasites.