effect of stem cells as an adjuvant on the immunogenicity of a potential anti-schistosomal vaccine in mice

Vaccination against schistosomes can be targeted towards the prevention of infection and/or to the reduction of parasite fecundity and pathology. However, as eggs are responsible mainly for schistosomiasis pathology, so crude soluble egg antigen [SEA] seems suitable to be used as a potential vaccine. Many studies have provided new insights establishing a role for mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs] in liver regeneration and improvement of schistosomiasis hepatic fibrosis, in addition to the need for standardized and effective adjuvant-vaccine formulations. So, the aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of stem cells when used as an adjuvant of a potential antischistosomal vaccine [crude SEA] in murine models. The current work was carried out on 100 mice [30 males for harvesting MSCs + 70 females for seven study groups, each of 10]. A schedule of vaccination and challenge infection was followed so, G1 [control healthy], G2 [control infected only] infected subcutaneously with S. mansoni cercaria [80-90 Schistosorna mansoni cercariae suspended in 0.2 ml distilled water], G3 [FCA then infected] received Freund's complete adjuvant [FCA] then infected, G4 [MSCs then infected] received MSCs then infected, 05 [SEA then infected] received SEA vaccine then infected, G6 [SEA+FCA then infected] received SEA vaccine and FCA then infected, 07 [SEA+MSCs then infected] received SEA vaccine and MSCs then infected. The current work was assessed by histopathological study and morphometric analysis [using H and E and Masson's Trichrome stains] to highlight number, size arid type of liver granulomas and percentage of liver fibrosis, immunological and molecular studies [RNA extraction, Reverse Transcriptase and PCR technique] for detection of interleukin-1 0 mRNA gene expression in liver tissue by reverse transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction [RT and PCR]. The results showed that a- SEA alone as a potential anti-schistosomal vaccine was more or less moderately protective, b- MSCs alone before the infection had mild prophylactic effects, c- MSCs as an adjuvant of the crude SEA increased its capabilities with highly significant results regarding the decrease in granuloma number, size, percentage and density of hepatic fibrosis, and d-There was significant increase in IL-10 mRNA gene expression on using [SEA+MSCs] [G7] if compared to other tested groups

Histological study of the effect of contaminated food by mycotoxin AFBI and CPA in albino rats

Fungal flora of mixed food belonging to Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillium and Rbizopus species were the most frequently isolated, from mixed poultry feed, especially A. flvus This study was conducted to determine whether exposure to cyclopiazonic acid [CPA] and Aflatoxin[B1] [AFB1] wouId alter the toxicity with exposure to either toxin individually. Seventy-two adult rats of both sexes were used, classified into 6 groups, 12 for each. The groups were dosed 0, 0.1 and 4 mg/kg B. W. [CPA: cyclopiazonic acid] and 0, 0.1 and 0.1 mg/kg B. W. [AFB1: Aflatoxin [B1]] daily for 3 successive doses for each group. 6 rats of each group were sacrificed alter 4 days from the initial dose, the remainder were left for a recovery period of 4 days prior to being killed. Small pieces of liver, kidney and spleen were processed histologically and paraffin sections were stained, then examined microscopically. Grossly, loss of weight of the rats receiving 0.2 mg/kg B. W. aflatoxin within 24 hours from the first dose and food consumption was 60% of controls. Rats of recovery lost 31-38 gm of their weights, the food consumption was 50%. In groups receiving CPA, food consumption was 75 of controls. Microscopically, the liver showed severe interstitial haemorrhages and lymphocytosis in the portal tracts in [lethal doses]. In animals receiving low doses, focal areas of haemorrhages were discerned with some lymphocytic infiltration, while in animals of [one dose], there were hypertrophied liver cells with many pyknotic nuclei of many cells. The kidneys of one dose had congested cortical blood vessels with pyknotic nuclei in the epithelial cell of the renal tubules. In [lethal doses], the congestion of renal tissue blood vessels was not so extensive as in the liver which was the most organ to be affected. The spleen, revealed delayed red pulp area on the expense of the white pulp in the lethal dose. In other doses, only vacuolation of many large Iympbocytes were seen in the splenic follicles

Effect of chronic schistosomiasis mansoni infection on the histochemical reactions in experimentally infected mice

The effect of chronic infection with Schistosoma mansoni on histochemical reaction was studied in liver, spleen and kidneys of experimentally infected mice at twelve and sixteen weeks post- infection. Variations in particular enzyme level help in evaluating pathophysiological states. The activities of acid phosphatase and nonspecific esterase were progressively increased as they are catabolic enzymes enhancing degeneration and destruction of the affected organs. A significant decrease of the anabolic enzymes [adenosine triphosphatase of ATPase, alkaline phosphatase and succinic dehydrogenase] was noticed. Fatty degeneration of tissues was detected by using the Sudan black B method for the demonstration of lipids. These changes denoted that chronic infection can worsen functional and metabolic activities in a multiplicity of host organs. A strong association was observed between the duration of infection and the development of the histochemical changes