Toxoplasma gondii and Epilepsy.

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite can be seen in all the vital organ; in the acute phase, it can be found in the blood, cerebrospinal fluid, semen, tears, saliva, urine, and in almost all body fluids. Transplasental infection can lead to fetal damage and miscarriage. Its last hosts are felines and intermediate hosts are all mammals, including humans. People infected by the ingestion of meat containing cysts in undercooked or raw, are thrown oocysts with cat felines By taking in water and food, from mother to fetus transplacental way, the infected organ transplantation, blood transfusion, laboratory accidents and kaprofaj transmitted by mechanical vectors of the invertebrates. Suppression of the immune system is being transformed to the shape and texture of the cysts with bradyzoite. The parasite settles in the cells of the tissue cysts and causes change in the cellular mechanisms, such as cytokinin task. Depending on changes and type of neurotransmitter (GABA, glutamate, serotonin, dopamine) levels in CSF in ions (Ca, K, Cl, Mg), it is believed that there is a change in their concentration. In this review, literature about the relationship between T. gondii and epilepsy and epileptiform activity the importance of parasites, which settle in the brain, will be highlighted.

Enterobius vermicularis: Can it be a possible pathogen in Bartholin gland abscess formation?

The most frequent disorders of the Bartholin glands are cysts or abscesses. Bartholin gland abscesses occur generally as a result of polymicrobial infections or agents that cause sexually transmitted diseases. But as far as we know, no parasite has been previously reported among the infectious agents that are detected from the abscesses of the Bartholin gland. Here, we report a 45-year-old woman, in the Bartholin abscess aspirate of whom Enterobius vermicularis eggs were detected in between the inflammatory infiltrate by cytological examination.

Antimicrobial effect of garlic (Allium sativum).

Medicinal plants like pumpkin seed, thyme, onion, Nigella sativa, lemon balm, and stinging nettle are used extensively today. One of these plants used most intensively and widespread is garlic. In this context, fresh shape, powder state and oil of garlic have been used all around the world, especially in Far East for centuries. It is scientifically proven that garlic is effectively used in cardiovascular diseases as a regulator of blood pressure, with dropper effects on glycaemia and high blood cholesterol, against bacterial, viral, mycotic and parasitic infections. It's also known that garlic is a wonderful plant having the properties of empowering immune system, anti-tumour and antioxidant effects. In this article, the summary of properties of garlic and its use against bacterial diseases is given. This article is a short review of recent patents on antimicrobial effect of garlic.

The effect of Nigella sativa oil against Aspiculuris tetraptera and Hymenolepis nana in naturally infected mice.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antiparasitic effect of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) on Aspiculuris tetraptera (A. tetraptera) and Hymenolepis nana (H.nana) in mice in January 2005. METHODS: Mice were obtained from the animal house facility of the Faculty of Medicine, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey. The natural infections were determined by the cellophane tape method and the centrifugal flotation method of stool samples. The infected mice with A. tetraptera and H.nana were divided into 4 groups; 2 treatment and 2 control groups. Nigella sativa oil was given at the dose of 250 ul/kg body weight orally for 2 consecutive days in the 2 treatment groups. All the mice were sacrificed on the seventh day after the last treatment. Gastrointestinal tract of the sacrificed animals was opened and washed with a serum physiologic. The contents were examined under a stereo microscope for counting and identifying of the parasites. The treatment and the control groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U-Test. RESULTS: Nigella sativa oil reduced both A. tetraptera and its eggs. The difference was significant between Group 1 and Group 3 (p<0.05). Nigella sativa oil reduced H.nana eggs starting from second day of the treatment until necropsy day during 5 days, but it was not significant between Group 2 and Group 4 (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Antiparasitic effect of NSO is related to its stimulating immune system.

[Garlic (Allium sativum) and traditional medicine]. / Sarimsak (Allium sativum) ve geleneksel tedavide kullanimi.

Medicinal plants such as thyme, onion, blackseed, lemon balm and nettle are intensively used in traditional medicine, today. Garlic is among the most important of these plants. For this purpose, garlic has been extensively used worldwide for centuries, especially in the Far East. Garlic is reported to be a wonderful medicinal plant owing to its preventive characteristics in cardiovascular diseases, regulating blood pressure, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels, effective against bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections, enhancing the immune system and having antitumoral and antioxidant features. Garlic exerts these effects thanks to more than 200 chemicals. It contains sulfur compounds (allicin, alliin and agoene), volatile oils, enzymes (allinase, peroxidase and miracynase), carbohydrates (sucrose and glucose), minerals (selenium), amino acids such as cysteine, glutamine, isoleucine and methionine which help to protect cells from the harms of free radicals, bioflavonoids such as quercetin and cyanidin, allistatin I and allistatin II, and vitamins C, E and A which help to protect us from oxidation agents and free radicals, and other vitamins such as niacin, B1 and B2 and beta-carotene. In this article, the information about the characteristics of garlic, the diseases on which it is effective and its use against parasitic diseases will be given.

[Some biochemical parameters in sheep infected with endoparasites (Fasciola spp., Dicrocoelium dendriticum, hydatid cysts, Trichostrongylidae and Protostrongylidae)]. / Endoparazitli (Fasciola spp., Dicrocoelium dendriticum, kist hidatik, Trichostrongylidae ve Protostrongylidae) koyunlarda bazi biyokimyasal parametreler.

This study was performed in order to investigate the variations of some blood biochemical parameters as well as the levels of Vitamin. B(12) and some macro elements in sheep infected with endoparasites. The blood samples were taken from the sheep that were to be slaughtered in the Van Municipality Slaughterhouse while the stool samples were taken after the slaughtering of the same animals. The postmortem examinations were made to investigate for the presence of Fasciola spp., D. dendriticum and cyst hydatid infections. The stool samples were examined helminthologically using native, sedimentation, flotation and Baermann-Wetzel methods. The control group was composed of animals not showing any internal organ parasites or parasites in the stool examination. Following the macroscopic and the stool examination, the animals found to have the same type of parasites were considered to be the study group. According to the analyses performed on the animals, the levels of total protein (in Trichostrongylidae, hydatid cysts), globulin, amylase, chlorine, and Vit.B(12) were found to be increased significantly, while the levels of albumin, magnesium, and phosphorus were found to be decreased significantly. The other parameters analyzed were not significant statistically between the groups.