Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 14 1 2019 03 11 111 119 EN Farideh TOHIDI Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran AND Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Bahram KAZEMI Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mojgan BANDEHPOUR Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Iraj SHARIFI Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran AND Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Mohammad Reza RABIEI Department of Statistics, School of Mathematical Sciences, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran Ebrahim SAEDI DEZAKI Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Science, Shahrekord, Iran Zahra BABAEI Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran AND Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran 2017 12 05 2018 03 13 Background: This study was aimed to silencing the Nucleoside transporter 3 (NT3) permease nucleobases involved in the salvage pathway of Leishmania in order to disrupt purine nucleotide uptake in the parasite and consequently, destruction of the parasite. Methods: Overall, 502 bp fragment of the NT3 gene sequence was designed to produce an antisense transcript upon entry of the vector into the parasite. The NT3 construct was transfected into L. major promastigotes and NT3 gene expression was studied in vivo and in vitro conditions. Results: Relative expression NT3 gene in transgenic Leishmania was decreased in tenth day. The percentages and the number of amastigotes infected macrophages with transgenic L. major were less than infected macrophages with wild-type strain. Our results in two groups of BALB/c female mice (wild-type strain and mutant, n=4 each group) were showed that size and number of ulcers in BALB/c mice infected with transgenic Leishmania promastigotes were less than the BALB/c mice infected with wild-type parasites. Conclusion: The results indicate the use of antisense RNA reduces of NT3 gene expression in L. major. More studies are required to obtain a new approach for treating Leishmania infection. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/1904 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/1904/919