Leishmania major: histopathological responses before and after topical treatment in experimental animals.

The cellular response in the cutaneous leishmaniasis lesion (CL), of BALB/c mice treated topically with an ointment composed of 15% paromomycin and 12% methylbenzethonium chloride (PR-ointment) was studied. In the infected, untreated control group, the lesion showed progressive necrosis with an increase in the number of parasites, macrophages, lymphocytes, and polymorphonuclear cells over a period of 18 weeks. In the PR ointment-treated group, complete healing of the lesion was observed 4 weeks after termination of treatment, but total elimination of the parasites from the lesion was observed only 2 weeks later. A marked reduction in the number of macrophages and polymorphonuclear cells was observed during the healing process. A similar phenomenon was observed with mice inoculated intraperitoneally with paromomycin alone, although total elimination of the parasites from the lesions of these mice was not demonstrated over a period of 18 weeks. Neither L3T4 helper T cells nor Ly2 cytotoxic suppressor T cells were detected in the CL lesion, either before or after treatment.