Effects of Allium sativum on IFN-γ and IL4 concentrations in mice with cystic echinococcosis.

The aim of the current investigation was to assess the impacts of methanolic extract of Allium sativum (MEAS) on IL-4 (a cytokine derived from Th2 cells) and IFN-É£ (a cytokine derived from Th1 cells) levels in mice infected with Echinococcus granulosus. Sixty healthy BALB/c female mice were used in this study. Each animal was intraperitoneally injected with 1500 protoscoleces. The infected animals were randomly divided into six groups: albendazole (100 mg/kg), MEAS 10 (10 mg/kg), MEAS 20 (20 mg/kg), MEAS 40 (40 mg/kg), MEAS 80 (80 mg/kg) and control group with no treatment. The studied animals received albendazole and/or MEAS through drinking water for 30 days. Serum IFN-γ concentration significantly increased in the MEAS 20 and 80 groups in comparison to the control, albendazole and MEAS 10 groups (P < 0.05). The serum IL-4 level showed no significant difference between the trial groups. The findings of this study showed that MEAS at 20 and 80 mg/kg concentrations enhanced Th1 cell response in mice with cystic echinococcosis.

Arginase promotes immune evasion of Echinococcus granulosus in mice.

BACKGROUND: Cystic echinococcosis is a chronic disease caused by infection with the larvae of Echinococcus granulosus. The parasite's ability to establish persistent infection is partly due to its evolving immune evasion strategies. One strategy may involve the protective effect of arginase, which impedes the control of pathogens or tumors, whereas it remains largely unknown during E. granulosus infection. Here, we analyzed whether arginase was produced in peritoneal cells and assessed its role in immunosuppression in mice infected with protoscoleces of E. granulosus. METHODS: BALB/c mice injected with protoscoleces of E. granulosus were used to evaluate the expression of arginase (ARG) in mRNA and protein levels. The profiles of ARG-1 expression in peritoneal cells and CD3ζ expression in T cells from spleens were assessed at different time points (3, 6, 9 and 12 months post-infection) by flow cytometry. In vitro, peritoneal cells were co-cultured with purified T cells in a transwell system, and the levels of CD3ζ re-expression were compared by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, the changes of L-arginine and its related metabolites in serum were tested. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the peritoneal cells from infected mice showed higher levels of ARG-1 mRNA and protein, unchanged ARG-2 and iNOS. Enhanced ARG-1 expression was present in SSClowCD11b+F4/80+, CD11b+CD11c+, CD11b+Gr-1+Ly-6C+Ly-6G-, CD11b+Gr-1+Ly-6C-Ly-6G+, CD11b+Gr-1+ and CD11b+Ly-6G+ cells. The proportion of cells and the proportion of ARG-1 expression in corresponding cells exhibited a rising trend along with the extension of infection time, except for fluctuations in SSClowCD11b+F4/80+ and CD11b+CD11c+ cells at 12 months post-infection, whereas the expression of CD3ζ chain in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells showed a descending trend. Purified T cells showed declined re-expression of CD3ζ when co-cultured with peritoneal cells from infected mice, and CD3ζ was regenerated by supplement of L-arginine or arginase inhibitor BEC, rather than NOS inhibitor L-NMMA or catalase. Meanwhile, the concentrations of L-arginine, L-citrulline and NO decreased, and those of L-ornithine and urea increased in serum post-infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that ARG-1 expression is enhanced in multiple myeloid cells from peritoneum and promotes immune evasion of E. granulosus in mice by inhibiting the expression of T cell receptor CD3ζ chain and antagonism against iNOS.

Zataria Multiflora bois as an auspicious therapeutic approach against Echinococcus granulosus: Current status and future perspectives.

Hydatidosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus is a major zoonotic diseases. In addition to imposing heavy economic losses, the disease is a public health problem worldwide. The larval stage of the parasite (hydatid cyst) is formed in a wide range of domestic, wild and human beings as intermediate hosts. On the other, its recurrence has been reported anywhere as a reemerging disease. Although the cysts have some evading mechanisms, both human TH1 and TH2 cells subsets are stimulated. Because of increasing resistance and adverse effects of medications such as abnormalities of liver and other organs functions and abdominal pain, seeking alternative therapeutic approaches to be inexpensive, easy available, with low side effects and toxicity seems essential. However, the lack of information on the social and economic welfares of herbal medicines for the industrial scale application is a limitation. Zataria Multiflora bois (ZMB) has exhibited huge advantages and tremendous protoscolicidal effects as demonstrated by numerous studies and its combination therapies with anti-parasitic drugs have exerted desirable outcomes in vitro and in vivo. Noticeably, the compound confers negligible side effects or toxicity even at high concentrations. ZMB has exhibited promising inhibitory effects against hydatid cyst, particularly when combined with chemical drugs and in formulations of nanoemulsions. Its immunomodulatory effects include increase of nitric oxide production (NO) and protection of hepatic cells (Kupffer cells, fat-storing cells, and endothelial cells), enhancement of macrophages and T cells and increase of cytokines production. This study aimed at assessment of ZMB traits for application against hydatid cyst protoscolices.

Therapeutic effects of Sophora moorcroftiana alkaloids in combination with albendazole in mice experimentally infected with protoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus

The objective of the present study was to determine if the combination of alkaloids from Sophora moorcroftiana seeds and albendazole might be effective in the treatment of experimental echinococcosisin female NIH mice (6 weeks old and weighing 18-20 g, N = 8 in each group) infected withprotoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus. Viable protoscolices (N = 6 x 103) were cultured in vitro in 1640 medium and mortality was calculated daily. To determine the in vivo efficacy, mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with viable protoscolices and then treated once daily by gavage for three months with the alkaloids (50 mg kg-1 day-1) and albendazole (50 mg kg-1 day-1), separately and in combination (both alkaloids at 25 mg kg-1 day-1 and albendazole at 25 mg kg-1 day-1). Next, the hydatid cysts collected from the peritoneal cavity of the animals were weighed and serum IL-4, IL-2, and IgE levels were analyzed. Administration of alkaloids to cultured protoscolices showed significant dose- and time-dependent killing effects. The weight of hydatid cysts was significantly decreased upon treatment with each drug (P < 0.01), but the decrease was more prominent and the rate of hydatid cyst growth inhibition was much higher (76.1 percent) in the group receiving the combined treatments (18.3 ± 4.6 mg). IL-4 and total IgE were decreased (939 ± 447 pg/mL and 2.03 ± 0.42 IU/mL, respectively) in serum from mice treated with alkaloids and albendazole compared with the untreated control (1481 ± 619 pg/mL and 3.31 ± 0.37 IU/mL; P < 0.01). These results indicate that S. moorcroftiana alkaloids have protoscolicidal effects and the combination of alkaloids and albendazole has significant additive effects.

Prevention and control of cystic echinococcosis.

Human cystic echinococcosis (hydatid disease) continues to be a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world. Elimination is difficult to obtain and it is estimated that, using current control options, achieving such a goal will take around 20 years of sustained efforts. Since the introduction of current (and past) hydatid control campaigns, there have been clear technological improvements made in the diagnosis and treatment of human and animal cystic echinococcosis, the diagnosis of canine echinococcosis, and the genetic characterisation of strains and vaccination against Echinococcus granulosus in animals. Incorporation of these new measures could increase the efficiency of hydatid control programmes, potentially reducing the time required to achieve effective prevention of disease transmission to as little as 5-10 years.

[Antimicrobial, echinococcidial and immunostimulating properties of the drug Cheblin-SK-1]. / Protivomikrobnye, protivoékhinokokkoznye i immunostimuliruiushchie svoistva preparata Cheblin-SK-1.

The antimicrobial properties of the drug Cheblin-CK-1 (CCK-1) were determined in mice intraabdominally inoculated with Proteus mirabilis-4691 in a dose of 140-200 million daily cultured microbial bodies. Its comparison agent was ampicillin. CCK-1 was found to act as an antibiotic similar to ampicillin in its effects. The antimicrobial activity of CCK-1 against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli isolated from the contents of echinococcal cysts from patients operated on was also established. Its echinococcidial activity was found in experiments on the cotton rats and piglets inocculated with echinococci. CCK-1 was also tested on volunteers. Before surgery, 186 patients with echinococcosis took the drug and 26 patients with the same disease did not and they served as controls. At first the drug suppressed the growth of parasitic larvocysts with destruction and death of 85-95% of germinal elements of larvocysts and then killed parasites. In patients receiving a complete course of its therapy, protein and amino acid metabolisms restored, followed by immunity recovery.

Maternal transfer of protection from Echinococcus granulosus infection in sheep.

Although passive immunity against larval metacestodes of the genus Taenia is well established, the transfer of immunity against Echinococcus granulosus infection has not been demonstrated convincingly. The immune status of newborn lambs born to ewes that had been infected or immunised with E granulosus eggs or oncospheres was investigated. The ewes and their six- to eight-day-old lambs were subsequently challenged. Lambs born to triply infected ewes were 80 per cent protected from a challenge infection whereas lambs born to simply infected ewes were only 45 per cent protected. Lambs born to ewes that had been immunised with preparations of sonicated oncospheres had the lowest levels of immunity. The infected ewes were challenged intramuscularly with activated oncospheres and showed some degree of immunity. Ewes which had received oncospheres solubilised in sodium dodecylsulphate or sonicated oncospheres were protected from subsequent oral challenge by 60 to 66 per cent. Radial immunodiffusion revealed that lambs with statistically significantly lower levels of IgG were more susceptible to challenge. However, the degree of protection did not show a simple relationship to the titre of antibody, as determined by an ELISA using a solubilised antigen.

[The immunological indices of patients with echinococcosis undergoing preoperative hemoexfusions]. / Immunologicheskie pokazateli u bol'nykh s ékhinokokkozom pri provedenii predoperatsionnykh gemoéksfuzii.

The immunologic parameters were studied in 38 patients with hydatid disease of the liver and abdomen before and after a single hemoexfusion (HE) in a volume of 400 ml. Among the patients who were examined there were those with uncomplicated hydatid disease of the liver (group I, second clinical stage, 25 persons), patients with suppuration of hydatid cysts (group 11, 10 persons), and two patients with multiple hydatid cysts complicated by their suppuration and calcification with involvement of large areas of the liver. Comparative analysis of immunological parameters in patients before and in the first 24 hours after HE showed a difference between the groups of patients and the controls. The parameters were restored to their initial values in patients of both groups 3-5 days after HE. The results of the study allow the conclusion that in screening patients with hydatid disease of the liver and abdominal cavity for preoperative HE a strict individual approach is necessary with the patient's general condition, the clinical form of the disease, and complications on the part of the cysts being taken into account.