efficacy of three medicinal plants; garlic, ginger and mirazid and a chemical drug metronidazole against cryptosporidium parvum: II- histological changes

Cryptosporidiosis parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infects intestinal epithelial cells of man and animals causing a major health problem. This study was oriented to evaluate the protective and curative capacity of garlic, ginger and mirazid in comparison with metronidazole drug [commercially known] against Cryptosporidium in experimental mice. Male Swiss Albino mice experimentally infected with C. parvum were treated with medicinal plants extracts [Ginger, Mirazid, and Garlic] as compared to chemical drug Metronidazole. Importantly, C. parvum- infected mice treated with ginger, Mirazid, garlic and metronidazole showed a complete elimination in shedding oocysts by 9[th] day PI. The reduction and elimination of shedding oocysts in response to the treatments might be attributable to a direct effect on parasite growth in intestines, sexual phases production and/ or the formation of oocysts. The results were evaluated histopathological examination of ileum section of control mice [uninfected, untreated] displayed normal architecture of the villi. Examination of infected mice ileum section [infected, untreated] displayed histopathological alterations from uninfected groups. Examination of ileum section prepared from mice treated with garlic, ginger, mirazid, and metronidazole displayed histopathological alterations from that of the control groups, and showed marked histologic correction in the pattern with the four regimes used in comparison to control mice. Garlic successfully eradicated oocysts of infected mice from stool and intestine. Supplementation of ginger to infected mice markedly corrected elevation in the inflammatory risk factors and implied its potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory capabilities. Infected mice treated with ginger, mirazid, garlic and metronidazole showed significant symptomatic improvements during treatment

efficacy of three medicinal plants: garlic, ginger and mirazid and a chemical drug metronidazole against Cryptosporidium Parvum. I- immunological response

Cryptosporidisis parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infects intestinal epithelial cells causing a major health problem for man and animals. Experimentally the immunologic mediated elimination of C. parvum requires CD4+ T cells and IFN-Gamma. But, the innate immune responses also have a significant protective role in both man and animals. the mucosal immune response to C. parvum in C57BL/6 neonatal and GKO mice shows a concomitant Th1 and Th2 cytokine mRNA expression, with a crucial role for IFN-Gamma in the resolution of the infection.NK cells and IFN-Gamma have been shown to be important components in immunity in T and B cell-deficient mice, but IFN-Gamma-dependent resistance is demonstrated in alymphocytic mice. Epithelial cells may play a vital role in immunity as once infected these cells have increased expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines and demonstrate anti-infection killing mechanisms. C. parvum immunological response was used to evaluate the efficacy of anti-cryptospori- disis agents of Garlic, Ginger, Mirazid and Metronidazole in experimentally infected mice

HIV binding to resting CD4 lymphocytes induces production of certain cytokines

Objective: To test the cytokine production in HIV infection

Design and methods: Cytokine profiles in two separate studies of HIV patients and controls are presented: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMC] from patients and controls were tested for the production of [interleukin [IL]-4, IL-5, IL-10, interferon [IFN]-gamma, and TNF-alpha] cytokines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. Both spontaneous and mitogen-induced cytokine production was measured

Results: The serum cytokine profile is altered in HIV patients compared to normal subjects. We examined if HIV binding to resting CD4 T-cells induced production of cytokines, intracellular IL-4, IL-10. TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma expression 48 hrs after mock- or HIV-exposure of resting T- cells and T-cell. We found that HIV binding to resting T-cells upregulated expression of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha by 24 hrs], and these remained elevated during 60 hrs of observation HIV binding had no appreciable effect on IL-4 expression and at 48 hrs little effect on IL- 10. EIA measurements of released cytokines in culture supernatants further showed that TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma were produced, but IL-4 was not. Furthermore, by EIA analysis, IL-2 was not induced [data not shown], but IL-5 and IL-10 were at 3 days. It seems likely, then, that HIV-signaled resting CD4 T-cells can provide <> activity

Conclusions: The study herein was performed to more fully characterize HIV-signaled, resting CD4 lymphocytes. We found that HIV signaling also induced production of IFN-gamma, IL-5, IL-10 and TNF-alpha, but not IL-2 or IL-4. These cells, however, did not go into cell cycle. Further, they could secondarily respond to normal proliferation stimuli from anti-CDS cross-linking or PHA and enter into cell cycle and produce a greater number of cytokines, and they did not display any significant activation-induced apoptosis. Thus, resting CD4 lymphocytes are partially activated by HIV binding, resulting in enhanced expression of certain activation markers and cytokines