[Experimental treatment using combined Fructus psoraleae and dihydroartemisinin in mouse cryptosporidiosis].

ABSTRACT

A combination of Fructus psoraleae (3.4 g/kg) and dihydroartemisinin (60 mg/(kg x d)) was used for 7 d in mice infected with Cryptosporidium parvum infection induced by oral administration of dexamethasone. The results indicated that number of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in feces, proportion of CD4+, CD3+ T lymphocytes in blood, serum IFN-gamma, and nitric oxide (NO) content in intestinal tissue were all higher than those of infected control group (P < 0.01). The pathogenic change in intestine of treated mice was lighter than that of infected control. It indicates that the combination of Fructus psoraleae and dihydroartemisinin is effective to mice cryptosporidiosis probably through upregulating serum IFN-gamma, proportion of CD4+ and CD3+ T cells and NO concentration in intestine.