ABSTRACT
An entomological survey was carried out for Leishmania vector incrimination of sand flies in northwestern Iran. Among other specimens, 358 sand flies belong to the Sergentomyia Genus were tested for leptomonad infection using semi-nested PCR method as well as sequence analysis of ITS-rDNA fragment. Results of semi-nested PCR against kietoplast DNA showed reptile leptomonad infection in two specimens of S.dentata. The ITS2 sequence analysis of the specimens revealed 76% identity with those of Leishmania [sauroleishmania] adleri of Genbank. However, further studies need to clarify the species identity of the leptomonads. Interestingly, blood meal analysis of the sand flies determined an S.sintoni specimen with mammalian hemoglobin. This reptile related sauroleishmania parasites lacks the Lipophosphoglican [LQG] necessary for entrance to human phagocytes cells, and hence are not human pathogen. However, the GlycoInositoPhosphLipid[GIPL] molecules of this parasite reacts with sera of kala-azar patients and may cause false positive scores in sero-epidemiological surveys for kala-azar. Sauroleishmania can be transmitted to human infected bite of some Sergentomyia subgenera that show intermediate characteristics of Phlebtomus Genus. They are able to feed on human blood. This is the first report on presence of L. [sauroleishmania] adleri as well as ingestion of mammalian hemoglobin Sergentomyia sand flies in Iran
Subject(s)
Insecta , Leishmania/parasitology , EntomologyABSTRACT
Toxoplasmosis is a protozoal infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasmosis produce severe damage in patients who are immunosuppresed. In those who are immunosupressed, latent infection can be reactivated resulting in acute disseminating disease. Betamethasone is a synthetic glycocorticoid, used as an anti-inflamatory and immunosuppressant in a wide variety of disorders. The aim of this study was evaluation of betamethasone as an immunosuppressor drug on infected cells by Toxoplasma gondii. In this study, at first HeLa cells were grown in 24 well culture plates in culture medium .When confluent monolayer was obtained, we compared 6 groups to evaluate the effect of betamethasone as a corticosteroid drug [two concentrations 4 and 40microg/ml] and the effect of IFN-gamma [100 IU/ml] on growth, replication and Nitric Oxide [NO] production. The results showed, that high number of plaques were seen in group with 40 microg/ml of betamethasone and the lowest number of plaques were seen in group with 100 IU of IFN-gamma. The difference between plaque number in control and groups treated with IFN-gamma and betamethasone was significant [P<0.05]. The groups with betamethasone or IFN-gamma without tachyzoites did not show any effect on cell structures. Replication rates in the wells treated with IFN-gamma were decreased significantly 72h post inoculation in comparison with control group [P< 0.05]. There was no significant difference among different groups in NO production. The results indicated that betamethasone increase the invasion of tachyzoites to host cells in vitro