Therapeutic effect of lauric acid, a medium chain saturated fatty acid on giardia lamblia in experimentally infected hamsters

Giardia lamblia is a common cause of diarrheal disease in humans, particularly among children causing nutritional disorders. Metronidazole and other nitroimidazoles are commonly used as the mainstay of therapy for giardiasis. The present work was carried out to evaluate the effect of lauric acid, a natural product extracted from coconut oil, against G. lamblia in experimentally infected hamsters [Mesocricetus auratus]. Sixty five laboratory bred hamsters were used in the current experimental study. Ten served as normal non infected non treated control group [A]. Fifteen uninfected hamsters served as drug control group [B]: five received metronidazole group [B1]; five received lauric acid group [B2] and five received combined treatment [metronidazole and lauric acid] at a half doses of each drug [B3]. The remaining forty hamsters were orally infected by 10,000 G. lamblia cysts/hamster [group C], and were divided into 4 groups of 10 hamsters each: infected control [C1]; metronidazole treated [C2]; lauric acid treated [C3]; combined treatment at a half dose of each drug [C4]. Two weeks after treatment, compared with infected non treated controls, the highest percentages of reduction in the number of Giardia cysts and trophozoites were in the group that received combined treatment [98.83%, 96.95%, respectively]. Lower percentages of reduction were recorded for the metronidazole treated group [93.77%, 95.50%, respectively] and the lauric acid treated group [82.03%, 78.76%, respectively]. Histopathological examination and electron microscopic examination revealed complete healing of intestinal mucosa after the combined treatment, while partial healing of the lining epithelium of the intestine was noticed after metronidazole or lauric acid treatment alone. Lauric acid improved the therapeutic effect against giardiasis when combined with metronidazole

Estimation of nitric oxide level in mice infected by trichinella spiralis

Trichinella spiralis infection causes intestinal inflammation that is associated with hypermotility and hypersecretion. Nitric oxide [NO] is a major secretory product of mammalian cells, with a critical role in host non-specific defense, and has been identified as an important effector molecule that can play a role in immuno-regulation. To investigate the role of NO and the changes in its level in experimental Trichinella spiral/s infection. 150 mice of both sexes were divided into five groups. GI served as healthy control [uninfected untreated group]. The other four groups were infected each with 250 larvae/mouse, G2 served as infected untreated control group, G3 was infected and administered NO in the form of 1 mg/kg intraperitoneally of glycerile trinitrate [Nitrocine], G4 was infected and administered nitric oxide synthase inhibitor in the form of 3 mg/kg intraperitoneally of L-NAME, and G5 was infected and treated with both Nitrocine and L-NAME. Drugs were given three times weekly from day 3 to day 28 post-infection. Two stable breakdown products, nitrate [NO3] and nitrite [NO,] were detected and determined at weekly intervals for 14 weeks for Gl and G2, and at the end of the 14th week in the other three groups, hence NO was calculated. Adult and larval counts were measured in each mouse with estimation of NO, and NO, levels. The adult worm count on the 7th day was 95.2 +/- 3.1 in G2; 142.12+2.94 in G3; 88.3+3.61 in G4 and 107.57+4.03 in G5, while on the 14th day [intestinal and migratory phase], the count was zero in all different groups. The larval count/diaphragm muscle was 690.15+108.1, 1261.75+244.7, 547.3 +/- 130.1 and 1089.0+107.7 in G2. G3. G4 and G5 respectively. Significant increases in NO levels were observed in G3 and G5 compared to G2 and G4 with peak serum level at week 9 in G2. Conclusion: NO administered as a drug intensified T spiralis infection and inhibition of the effect of NO by L-NAME reduced the numbers of worms and larvae. Further studies are needed to determine pro and anti-inflammatory effects of NO on different parasitic infections and the relationship between NO function and concentration in the microenvironment of inflammatory lesions

Diagnosis of trichomonas vaginalis infection by PCR

Trichomonas vaginalis infection is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in the world. It causes vaginitis, urethritis and preterm birth. It has been associated with nongonococcal urethritis in men. In this study, a polymerase chain reaction [PCR] targeting the beta-tubulin genes of T. vaginalis was developed for the detection of the organism in both vaginal swab and urine specimens from infected patients. Random urine samples were collected from 30 patients [23 females and 7 males] tested positive for T. vaginalis by wet preparation and the Inpouch T. vaginalis culture system. Two vaginal swabs were collected by each woman, first before insertion of the speculum and then after the insertion of the speculum. A previously published T.vaginalis specific primer set, [BTUB 9/2], BTUB 9 [5' CAT TGA TAA CGA AGC TCT TTA CGA T 3'] and BTUB2 [5' GCA TGT TGT GCC GGA CAT AAC CAT 3'] recognizing a 112-bp target within the beta-tubulin gene of the T. vaginalis organism was used for this purpose. The positive result was reported 28.6% in male urine and 39.1% in female urine samples, first swab 65.2% and second swab 78.3% by wet preparation diagnosis. By the culture test, the male urine samples recorded 42.9% positive, female urine 69.6% while the first swab recorded 86.9% positive and the second swab 91.3% positive. All negative cases by culture in urine and vaginal samples were tested by PCR, which resulted as 2 cases positive in male urine samples and 5 cases were positive in female urine samples, but one case only gave positive with PCR in first swab of vaginal samples and 2 cases of second swab became positive by PCR. No statistical differences were observed in incidences among patients. On conclusion the PCR assay was even more sensitive than wet preparation and culture and afforded the practical advantages of providing results

detection of Giardia lamblia coproantigen as a sensitive immunodiagnostic method for human giardiasis

This study was designed to develop a sandwich ELISA for detection of G. Iambiia antigens in stool and sera of giardiasis patients as a better diagnostic alternative to routine parasitological methods. Anti-G. Iamblia antibodies were produced by immunization of rabbit with G. lamblia antigen obtained from cultured trophozoites. Raised antibodies were then employed in sandwich ELISA for detection of G. lamblia antigen in collected sera and stool samples. In this study sera and stool samples from 80 G. lamblia infected patients, 71 patients infected with other parasites [Entamoeba histolytica, Schistosoma mansoni and Fasciola hepatica] and 30 uninfected individuals were tested by sandwich-ELISA for detection of G. lamblia antigen. The sensitivity of coproantigen assay reached 98.8% for detection of Giardia antigens in stool and 87.5% for detection of Giardia antigen in sera of giardiasis patients. The specificity of the assay was 94.1% for stool samples and 91% for sera of negative controls and patients harboring other parasites collectively. A positive correlation between age of patients and the antigen levels in both sera and stool samples of G. lamblia infected patients was observed. The sensitivity of antigen detection assay was directly related to the intensity of infection. The positivity rate for detection of coproantigen in stool was compared to the number of cysts in stool. Patients passing < 8 cysts showed false negativity in stool samples [one patient] compared to 100% positivity in patients passing > 50 cysts of stool [79 patients]. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between coproantigen level in stool and number of cysts in stool of G. lamblia infected patients [r=0.887, p< 0.001]. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that the employment of rabbit anti-G. lamblia IgG antibodies in sandwich ELISA for the detection of G. lamblia coproantigen in stool provided a sensitive and specific tool for immunodiagnosis of G. lamblia infection

effect of chronic lead exposure on the course of Schistosomiasis and the protective effect of the antioxidant preparation Antox

In the present study, 80 adult male hamsters were used; 20 of them were divided equally into non-infected non-treated control group and chronic lead exposed group, that was given lead acetate intraperitoneally dissolved in distilled water, 2 mg/kg/day for 7 weeks. Then, two experiments were carried out on the remaining animals. Each experiment [included 30 animals] was divided equally into three groups. Experiment A was carried out on the following groups: Schistosoma mansoni infected group, Schistosoma mansoni infected and chronic lead exposed group and Schistosoma mansoni infected, chronic lead exposed and Antox-treated group. Experiment B was done following the previous design, except that infection was carried out by Schistosoma haematobium cercaria. The study revealed significant reduction in oxidative stress parameters as well as blood and hepatic lead levels and in hepatic 8-oxodeoxyguanosine phosphate level after giving the antioxidant Antox to the Schistosoma infected and chronic lead exposed groups. However, the administration of the antioxidant Antox to Schistosoma infected and chronic lead exposed groups has insignificantly increased all the parasitological parameters

Eosinophilia as a diagnostic value in patients suffering from schistosomiasis haematobium comparing to eosinophiluria and egg count in the urine

Fifty-out of sixty cases [ranging in age between 18-30 years old] suffering from Schistosomiasis hematobium were selected from Inpatient and Outpatient Clinic of Theodore Bilharz Research Institute. Patients were divided into three groups: 20 infected and non treated, 20 infected and treated, then exposed again to infection and ten were completely treated. Also, a fourth group to serve as healthy control was included. Blood samples were collected to count eosinophil percentage and absolute eosinophil count. Urine samples were collected to study eosinophiluria by slide film staining with Leishman's stain and to count number of ova excreted in 10 ml urine by urine filtration technique. Eosinophilia and eosinophiluria >5% had diagnostic value for Schistosomiasis hematobium as well as the correlation between them and intensity of infection by number of ova in urine