Immunoprotective Effect of Chitosan Particles on Hymenolepis nana - Infected Mice.

Hymenolepis nana is the most commonly known intestinal cestode infecting mainly human. This study aimed to investigate the potential effect of chitosan particles (CSP) to enhance the immune system against H. nana infection. Determination of worm burden, egg output, histopathological changes, oxidative stress markers (lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione), goblet (GCs) and mucosal mast cells (MMCs) counts in intestinal ileum was performed. In addition, levels of intestinal mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-9, stem cell factor (SCF), type I and II interferons (IFN)-α/ γ, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, mucin 2 (MUC2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOs) were investigated using real-time PCR. The results indicated induced reductions in adult worm and egg counts in infected mice after CSP treatment. This was associated with improvement in tissue morphometric measurements and oxidative stress which were altered after infection. Expression levels of iNOs, IFN-α, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-9 were decreased by CSP. Conversely, expression levels of MUC2, IL-4 and SCF increased compared to infected untreated group. In addition, GCs and MMCs counts were normalized by CSP. In conclusion, this study could indicate the immunoprotective effect of CSP against H. nana infection. This was characterized with Th2 anti-inflammatory responses.

[STEROIDAL GENINS AND GLYCOSIDES OF SPIROSTAN AND FUROSTAN SERIES AS ANTHELMINTHIC AGENTS].

It was established that steroidal genins and their glycosides of the spirostan series and (especially) furostan series show anticestodal activity against Hymeiolepis nana species. Search for anthelminthic agents in the indicated series of compounds is a promising direction of research.

Anthelmintic activities of aporphine from Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. cv. Rosa-plena against Hymenolepis nana.

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. cv. Rosa-plena (Nelumbonaceae), commonly known as lotus, is a perennial aquatic plant grown and consumed throughout Asia. All parts of N. nucifera have been used for various medicinal purposes in oriental medicine. From the leaves of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. cv. Rosa-plena (an aquatic plant), liriodenine (1), lysicamine (2), (-)-anonaine (3), (-)-asimilobine (4), (-)-caaverine (5), (-)-N-methylasimilobine (6), (-)-nuciferine (7), (-)-nornuciferine (8), (-)-roemerine (9), 7-hydroxydehydronuciferine (10) and cepharadione B (11) were isolated and identification and anthelmintic activities of aporphine was evaluated against Anisakis simplex and Hymenolepis nana. This study found that the above constituents killed H. nana or reduced their spontaneous movements (oscillation/peristalsis). However, the above constituents at various concentrations demonstrated no larvicidal effect or ability to halt spontaneous parasite movement for 72 h against A. simplex, respectively. In addition, according to an assay of cestocidal activity against H. nana and nematocidal activity against A. simplex, we found that the above compounds showed greater lethal efficacy on H. nana than against A. simplex. Further investigation showed that these above constituents have effects against peroxyl radicals under cestocidal effect. Together, these findings suggest that these constituents of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. cv. Rosa-plena might be used as anthelmintic agents against H. nana.

Bioguided isolation of N-malonyl-(+)-tryptophan from the fruit of Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth. that showed high activity against Hymenolepis nana.

Pithecellobium dulce is distributed in America and Asia where is widely used in traditional medicine. This study describes the bioguided fractionation of the methanol extract (ME) obtained from the P. dulce fruit that showed in vitro activity against Hymenolepis nana; Artemia salina assay was used to determine toxicity; and the purified compound was computationally analysed to obtain its absorption-distribution-metabolism-excretion-and-toxicity properties (ADMET). The ME and its fractions were more active than praziquantel (PZQ), and the purified compound was characterized as N-malonyl-(+)-tryptophan (NMT). Parasites treated with NMT showed shorter paralysis and death times (5 and 7 min) than those treated with PZQ (15 and 30 min), both used at 20 mg/mL. Toxicity and ADMET prediction results supported the slight-hazardousness and efficacy of the assayed fractions/compound. This is the first report of the antiparasitary activity of both the P. dulce ME and NMT, showing their potential to treat human H. nana infections.

Risk Factors and Relationship Between Intestinal Parasites and the Growth Retardation and Psychomotor Development Delays of Children in Sanliurfa, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors for and relationship among parasitic infections, growth retardation, and psychomotor developmental delays in children aged 6 years and below. METHODS: This case-control study was performed in Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey between October and December 2007. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, anthropometry, Ankara Development Screening Inventory, and laboratory analysis of stool specimens. RESULTS: The most common parasite was Giardia intestinalis (42.53%) followed by Enterobius vermicularis (27.58%), Ascaris lumbricoides (18.39%), Hymenolepis nana (5.75%), Trichuris trichiura (3.45%), Escherichia coli (1.15%), and Blastocystis spp. (1.15%). Fifty-eight percent of all children were infected with intestinal parasites; 55.2% had only one parasite, whereas 44.8% had multiple parasites. The children infected with G. intestinalis and other intestinal parasites had significantly higher levels of growth retardation and psychomotor development delay than non-infected children. Children with parasitic infections had growth delay up to 2.9 times, general development delay up to 1.9 times, language-cognitive development delay up to 2.2 times, and fine motor development delay up to 2.9 times higher than children without any parasitic infections. However, no significant relationship among intestinal parasites, gross motor development, social-self skills, and development delay was identified. The education level of parents, poor economic situation, number of households, not washing hands, playing with soil, family history of parasitic infection were the significant risk factors for intestinal parasites. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that the presence of either malnutrition or intestinal parasites may put a child in a high-risk group for developmental delays and growth retardation. Therefore, public health interventions can embrace nationwide deworming in children.

Cytokine production in Hymenolepis nana infection.

BACKGROUND: Although many experimental studies provide convincing evidence that type II immunity is protective against helminths, recent data in mice demonstrate that Th1 is also important in some cestodes like Hymenolepis nana. OBJECTIVES: To identify the role of Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes in immunity against H. nana, the levels of IL-12, IFNgamma, IL-5, and IL-13 were determined in serum of humans infected with this cestode. METHODS: A total of 31 patients (case) with H. nana infection and 30 clinically healthy individuals (control) was included in this study. Measurements of IL-12, IFNgamma, IL-13 and IL-5 in serum samples were performed by solid-phase sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbant assay. Differential leukocyte count was also done. T test, Mann Whitney U test and Wilcoxan W test were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean concentrations of IFNgamma, IL-12 and IL-5 in the sera of patients with H. nana infection were higher than the control group, but only the differences between the concentrations of IFNgamma (P<0.001) and IL-13 (P<0.05) in the two groups were significant. There was an increase in the percentage of monocytes, eosinophils and lymphocytes in patients when compared to the controls, but this increase was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Results from the present study in humans are in agreement with experimental studies in animals in which both Th1 and Th2 responses occur in H. nana infection.