FIG 1.

Effect of astrakurkurone on NO generation. Astrakurkurone induced the release of NO in uninfected and infected macrophages. (a) Elevation of iNOS2 mRNA was L. donovani infection specific at 6 h, as examined by real-time PCR. (b) Astrakurkurone-induced inhibition of intracellular amastigotes was abrogated in the presence of (gray) versus in the absence of (black) l-NMMA in vitro, suggesting the involvement of NO in amastigote killing. (c) Astrakurkurone induced the release of NO in both uninfected and infected macrophages in the presence (gray) and absence (black) of l-NMMA, as estimated by the nitrite concentration determined by the use of Griess reagent at 48 h. Values are means ± standard errors (n = 5) from 3 independent experiments (*, P < 0.001; **, P < 0.008; ***, P < 0.006).