Therapeutic Effects of Allium sativum and Allium cepa in Schistosoma mansoni experimental infection / Efeitos terapêuticos do Allium sativum e Allium cepa na infecção experimental pelo Schistosoma mansoni

The effects of both garlic (Allium sativum) and onion (Allium cepa) on some biochemical parameters in Schistosoma mansoni infected mice individually and mixed either with or without the currently used drug, praziquantel (PZQ) were investigated. These involved some immunological parameters, namely IgM, IgG, interleukins 2 and 6 (IL-2 and 6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), some antioxidant enzymes [catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX)]. In addition, parasitological and histopathological investigations were performed. No changes were observed in the normal control mice treated with dry extract of onion or garlic, individually or mixed, with or without PZQ, compared to the normal healthy control group. Infection with S. mansoni showed an increase in IgG, IgM, IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α and catalase enzyme, accompanied with a decrease in GPX and SOD antioxidant enzyme activities. Remarkable amelioration was noticed in the levels of all the measured parameters in S. mansoni infected mice after administration of the studied extracts. Moreover a significant reduction in worm burden, hepatic and intestinal eggs and oogram count was noticed which was reflected in normalization of liver architecture.

Os efeitos do alho (Allium sativum) e cebola (Allium cepa) em parâmetros bioquímicos de camundongos infectados pelo Schistosoma mansoni individualmente e misturados seja com ou sem as drogas correntemente usadas como o Praziquantel (PZQ), foram investigados. Isto envolveu parâmetros imunológicos tais como IgM, IgG, Interleucina 2 e 6 (IL-2 e 6), fator de necrose tumoral (TNF-α) e algumas enzimas anti-oxidantes [catalase, super-óxido dismutase (SOD) e glutationa peroxidase (GPX)]. Em adição foram realizadas investigações parasitológicas e histopatológicas. Nenhuma alteração foi observada nos camundongos controles normais tratados com extrato seco de cebola ou alho, individualmente ou misturado, com ou sem PZQ, comparados com os controles normais sadios. Infecção com o Schistosoma mansoni revelou um aumento em IgG, IgM, IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α e catalase, acompanhados de diminuição do GPX e atividade enzimática do anti-oxidante SOD. Melhora acentuada foi notada nos níveis de todos os parâmetros medidos em camundongos infectados com Schistosoma mansoni após administração dos extratos estudados. Mais ainda, significante redução na quantidade de vermes, e ovos no fígado e intestino e na contagem do oograma foi notada refletindo a normalização da arquitetura do fígado.

Double aneuploidy in three Egyptian patients: Down- Turner and Down- Klinefelter syndromes

The co-occurrence of two numerical chromosomal abnormalities in same individual [double aneuploidy] is relatively rare and its clinical presentations are variable depending on the predominating aneuploidy or a combination effect of both. Furthermore, double aneuploidy involving both autosomal and sex chromosomes is seldom described. In this study, we described three patients with double aneuploidy involving chromosome 21 and sex chromosomes. They all had the classical non disjunction trisomy 21; that was associated with monosomy X in two of them and double X in the other. Clinically, they had most of the phenotypic features of Down syndrome as well as variable features Characteristic of Turner or Klinefeiter syndrome. Cytogenetic studies and fluorescence in situ hybridization [FISH] analysis were carried out for all patients and their parents. The first patient was a male, mosaic with 2 cell lines [45, X / 47, XY, +21] by regular banding techniques and had an affected sib with Down syndrome [47, XY, +21]. The second was a female mosaic [46, X, +21 / 47, XX, +21] where monosomy X was detected only by FISH in 15% of cells, nevertheless, stigmata of Turner syndrome was more obvious in this patient. The third patient had non mosaic double trisomy, Down-Klinefelter [48, XXY, +21] presented with Down syndrome phenotype. Parental karyotypes and FISH studies for these patients were normal with no evidence of mosaicism. In this report, we reviewed variable clinical presentations among the few reported cases with the same aneuploidy in relation to ours. Also, the proposed mechanisms of double aneuploidy and the occurrence of non-disjunction in more than one family member were discussed. This study emphasizes the importance of molecular cytogenetics techniques for detection of mosaicism, furthermore, we recommend studying of more than one tissue in cases with atypical features of characteristic chromosomal aberration syndromes