Development of topical treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major in experimental animals.

Topical treatment, with drug-containing ointments, of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major in BALB/c mice was studied. Twenty chemotherapeutic agents having potential or established antileishmanial activity were formulated in different ointment and cream bases. Only 15% paromomycin sulfate with 12% methylbenzethonium chloride, 12% benzethonium chloride, 12% cetalkonium chloride, or 12% dimethyl sulfoxide, all incorporated in white soft paraffin (United Kingdom patent application no. 2117237A), were completely effective. Topical treatment twice daily for 6 or more days caused total elimination of the parasites and healing of the lesion in all treated mice. All the other antileishmanial compounds, including sodium stibogluconate, pentamidine, amphotericin B, emetine hydrochloride, metronidazole, co-trimoxazole, allopurinol, and rifampin, either showed a slight effect on the parasites or were highly toxic to the animal host at the concentrations tested.