Paclitaxel (Taxol)-Induced Killing of Leishmania major in Murine Macrophages

The antitumor drug paclitaxel (Taxol) has been demonstrated to be a lipopolysaccharide mimetic in murine macrophages. In this study, the capacity of paclitaxel to activate macrophages to become microbicidal for Leishmania major was examined. Paclitaxel and gamma interferon synergized to kill intracellular L. major in Lps(n), but not Lps(d), macrophages by a nitric oxide (NO·)-dependent mechanism.