Granzyme B Produced by Natural Killer Cells Enhances Inflammatory Response and Contributes to the Immunopathology of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Background: Skin lesions from patients infected with Leishmania braziliensis has been associated with inflammation induced by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. In addition, CD8+ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity has not been linked to parasite killing. Meanwhile, the cytotoxic role played by natural killer (NK) cells in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) remains poorly understood.

Clinical and immunological outcome in cutaneous leishmaniasis patients treated with pentoxifylline.

Pentoxifylline is a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor that also attenuates the immune response and decreases tissue inflammation. The association of pentoxifylline with antimony improves the cure rate of mucosal and cutaneous leishmaniasis. In this randomized and double blind pilot trial, cure rate was higher, although not significant, in patients who received antimony plus pentoxifylline than in those patients receiving antimony plus placebo.

In vitro effects of acute amiodarone and dronedarone on epicardial, endocardial, and M cells of the canine ventricle.

Amiodarone (AM) is an antiarrhythmic agent widely used in the treatment of ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias. Dronedarone (DR) is a new compound with a pharmacological profile similar to that of AM, but iodine free. We previously demonstrated that chronic AM treatment reduces transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) in the canine heart.

Acute in vitro effects of dronedarone, an iodine-free derivative, and amiodarone, on the rabbit sinoatrial node automaticity: a comparative study.

Amiodarone is a potent antiarrhythmic drug commonly used in the treatment of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. Dronedarone is a recently developed iodine-free compound (Sanofi Recherche), structurally related to amiodarone. Amiodarone and dronedarone have shown similar long-term effects on sinoatrial node automaticity in vivo and in vitro in the rabbit heart.