The Effects of N-Butyl-1-(4-dimethylamino)phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxamide against Leishmania amazonensis Are Mediated by Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Figure 2
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes after 48 h of treatment with C4. (a) SEM image of an untreated promastigote, showing typical elongated morphology. (b) and (c) SEM images of promastigotes after treatment with the IC50 (16.0 μM), showing distortion of the cell body. (d) SEM image of promastigote after treatment with the IC90 (103.0 μM), showing rounding of the cell body. Scale bar: 2 μm. (e) TEM image of untreated promastigote, showing normal mitochondria (m), nucleus (n), and flagellum (f). (f) and (g) TEM images of promastigotes treated with C4 at 16.0 μM, showing mitochondrial swelling and the presence of concentric membranes inside mitochondria (black asterisk). (h) Promastigotes treated with C4 at 103.0 μM, showing alteration of the plasma membrane (black arrow). Scale bar: 0.5 μm in (e) and 0.2 μm in (f)–(h).
