Efficacy of black seed oil from Nigella sativa against murine infection with cysts of Me49 strain of toxoplasma gondii

New therapies for toxoplasmosis are critically needed. Nigella sativa, commonly known as black seed or black cumin, has been known to include many medicinal properties. It has anti-inflammatory, and immuno-potentiating effects, antihelminthic and antiprotozoal activities. To study the effect of black seed oil [BSO] from Nigella sativa against Toxoplasma gondii Me49 strain in a murine model of infection. Two separate studies were performed, in which mice were orally inoculated with 10 or 20 T. gondii [Me49 strain] brain cysts. In each study, three groups of mice [35 each] were assigned to treatment with BSO for 2 weeks before T. gondii infection [BSO prophylactic], day 4 post infection [BSO therapeutic], or left untreated [infected untreated control]. The BSO effect on toxoplasmosis was evaluated by the assessment of [1] survival rate and brain cyst burden, [2] brain histopathological lesions and [3] immunohistochemical expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS]. In infection induced by inoculation of 10, but not 20, cysts/mouse of the Me49 strain, BSO in prophylactic or therapeutic regimens significantly enhanced protection of infected mice against death [P = 0.01] and reduced brain cyst burdens at 5, 7 and 12 weeks post infection [PI] [P < 0.05] compared to the infected untreated control. The brains of BSO prophylactic or therapeutic groups showed milder meningitis, encephalitis and perivascular cuffing compared to the infected untreated control [P < 0.05]. Moreover, expression of iNOS was significantly enhanced in both BSO prophylactic and therapeutic groups compared to the untreated infected control. The BSO prophylactic group showed a significant enhanced expression of iNOS, selective to the brain endothelial cells, in the 1st week PI. Infection with 20 cysts was more aggressive, resulting in death of all untreated mice by day 35, and 26.7% and 20% protection respectively in BSO prophylactic and therapeutic groups. The estimated probabilities of survival were not significantly different among the 3 groups [P = 0.112]. BSO showed promising prophylactic and therapeutic effects on murine toxoplasmosis

Expression of c-met in malignant pleural mesothelioma: an immunohistochemical study

Most patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma present in advanced stages of disease. Response rates and survival with currently available therapies are poor. Therefore, it is critical to identify the molecular markers of mesothelioma which would provide a way of understanding this neoplasm and targeting these markers in therapy. To assess the immunoreactivity of c-Met in malignant pleural mesothelioma and to analyze the potential link of the c-MET expression to some clincopathological parameters such as tumor subtype, TNM stage and patients' survival. A total of 20 patients [7 females and 13 males] with pathologically confirmed MPM; age range, [35 to 63 years] were included in the study. The patient records for the clinical, radiological and laboratory investigations and the results of closed pleura biopsies were analyzed. Pleura biopsies were stained for c-Met using immunohistochemical technique applied to paraffin sections. Of the studied tumors 18 [90%] were immunoreactive for c-Met. There were no significant relations between c-Met and patient age [p=0.569] or gender [0.755]. Also there was no relation between c-Met expression and clinical symptoms. All tumors that showed distant metastasis were c-Met positive. While all c-Met negative tumors showed no metastasis. However, the difference was statistically insignificant. There was also no relation between c-Met and tumor subtype [p=0.40] or tumor stage [p=0.257]. However, all T3 and T4 tumors were c-Met positive and the two c-Met negative tumors were T[2]. The 2 c-Met negative patients showed one-year survival. Whereas [7/18] of patients with positive c-Met died. However, again the difference was statistically insignificant [p=0.755]. c-Met receptor was expressed in a high proportion of MPM. It may have a significant role in the development of MPM and could be a beneficial target for therapy. Though there was no statistically significant relation between c-Met expression and one-year survival or with different prognostic factors in MPM, we observed more c-met expression in more extensive cases and more deaths in c-Met positive cases. Additional larger-scale studies of MPM are needed to confirm the prognostic role of c-Met expression