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

role of probiotics in controlling giardia intestinalis in experimental animals

Efficacy of Lactobacillus acidophilus [Lactospore] for the control Research Institute Warak of Giardia intestianlis infection was evaluated in hamsters. Each El-Hadar Imbaba hamster was infected orally by 10.000 Giardia lamblia cysts. Animal were divided into five groups: Group A: control infected, untreate group. Group B: infected receiving Metronidazole. Group C: infected and receiving Lactospore. Group D: infected and receiving combination of Metronidazole and Lactospore. Group E: receiving Lactospore 7 days before infection acting as a prophylactic group. Groups B, C and D were given the appmpriate drug, three weeks post infection. Two weeks later stool analysis was performed and cysts/gm stool were counted, after which scarification of all groups took place. There was a highly significant difference between control and all treated groups. The highest percentage of reduction [cure rate] was in group D [98.6%]. followed by group B which gave a reduction rate of [93.8 1%]. The effect of the drugs on the vegetative [trophozoite] forms in the small intestine of sacrificed hamsters was studied. Combination of both drugs [group D] revealed a high significant cure rate [99.32%]. On the other hand when metronidazole and lactospore were given alone a reduction rate of 92.22% and 63.4% respectively was observed. The prophylaxis effect of Lactospore was highly noticed with 93.65% parasite reduction. Assessment of cure was also performed by electron microscopic and histopathological examination of the small intestine, peyer's patches and the spleen. Ultrastructural examination of the small intestine revealed remarkable destruction of the intestinal cell projection by Gardia cyst. Partial healing of the destructeci intestinal cell projection by Metronidazole was obvious, while complete healing could be detected in both groups D and E, Combined treatment with metronidazole and lactospore revealed remarkable activation of lymphocytes and macrophages. This easy flow through the endothelial cells lining the sinus in its way to the lumen to enhance their opportunity to overcome the infection could be detected. Histopathological examination revealed complete healing of the intestinal mucosa after the combined treatment while partial healing of the lining epithelium of the intestine was noticed after metronidazole treatment. The present study proves the efficacy of lactospore as a prophylactic agent for Giardiasis when given 7 days pre infection. This might be of considerable interest in eases of travelers diarrhea. In addition, it can strengthen the effect of metronidazole when both drugs are given together

Infection of Biomphalaria alexandrina Snails with Schistosoma mansoni miracidia from ova of mice infected with cercariae exposed to the plant Anagallis arvensis

Exposure of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae to 35 or 69 ppm suspension of the dry powder of the plant Anagallis arvensis for one-hour pre-mouse exposure led to a significant reduction in worm establishment. Thus, the number of worms/mouse was 27.4 in control mice and 9.5 and 5.8 worms from mice exposed to the batches of treated cercariae. Moreover, no worms, were detected from mice exposed to cerariae previously treated for one hour with 100 ppm of the plant dry powder. Exposure of Biomphalaria alexandrina snails to miracidia hatched from ova obtained from mice infected with cercariae previously treated with 69 ppm of the plant dry powder was highly suppressed. Thus, the snail infection rate declined from 95% in control group to 58.3% in the experimental group. The mean number of cercariae shed by infected snails was 389 cercariae/ snail in the control group and 131 cercariae/snail in experimental one Moreover, the cercariae obtained from the experimental snail group were very weak and creeping on the bottom of the Petri dish, while cercariae obtained from the control group were actively swimming

Study of kinetics of circulating schistosome antigens in tissues and sera of infected mice using anti-schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen monoclonal antibody

In the present study, the kinetics of uptake and deposition of Schistosoma mansoni antigens in liver, spleen, kidney and intestine of C57BL/6 mice infected with 100 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae as well as their levels in sera have been investigated during the course of infection [12 weeks]. The presence of antigen was demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence using IgM anti-soluble egg antigen monoclonal antibody [anti-SEA MAb]. Immunofluorescence reactivity was evident in both renal and spleen tissues 3 weeks post-infection [p.i.], in Kupffer cells of liver 4 weeks p.i. and in intestinal mucosa [5 weeks p.i.]. Maximal immunofluorescence staining was reached during the patent phase [5-9 weeks p.i.]. During the chronic stage of infection [9-12 weeks pi.], diminution of immunofluorescent intensity was evident in liver tissue, while it remained constant in other studied organs. Circulating schistosome antigen [CSA] level in mice sera was determined using a sandwich ELISA with a MAb for both antigen capture and detecting antibody. CSA was demonstrated in mice sera [one week p.i.] reaching its peak at 6 weeks p.i. and remained at a detectable level until the end of the study [12th week p.i.]

dynamics of serum and hepatic schistosomal antigens in two different strains of mice

This work was designed to study the dynamics of circulating schistosome antigens [CSA] both in serum and hepatic tissues to evaluate their role in the pathological changes in murine schistosomiasis mansoni in two strains of mice with different genetic make up [C57BL/6 and BALB/c] during the course of schistosomal infection. The detection of serum CSA was performed using sandwich ELISA. Immunolocalization of schistosomal antigens in hepatic tissue was studied using indirect immunofluorescent staining. In both techniques, an IgM anti-Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen [SEA] monoclonal antibody [MAb] used. Immunolocalization as well as detection of CSA were studied weekly starting from the first week up to twelve weeks post-infection [p.i.]. The serum circulating antigen was detected as early as the first week p.i.; whereas, its detection in hepatic tissue was observed at a later stage [fourth week p.i.]. Serum circulating antigen levels reached their peaks at the 5th and 6th weeks p.i. in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, respectively, and then declined. The deposited schistosomal antigen in hepatic tissues reached their peaks at 7th- 8th week p.i. in both strains, but declined more rapidly in C57BL/6 mice than in BALB/c mice. The data denoted that the dynamics of circulating antigen both in the serum and the hepatic tissues varies according to the genetic background of the mice

Immune response to corynbacterium cutis lysate vaccine in Schistosoma mansoni infected mice

The present study was conducted on male albino mice of 20-25 gm weight, divided into 5 main groups. These groups were infected with 0, 80, 120, 160 and 180 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae per animal, respectively, at seven weeks before sacrificing. Each of these groups was subdivided into Corynebacterium cutis lysate vaccinated group and a non-vaccinated group. The vaccine was given in a dose of 0.5 ml i.m./animal at 72 hours before sacrificing. Both Schistosoma antigen and anti-Schistosoma antibodies were detected in the sera using ELIZA technique. A panel of monoclonal antibodies [M Abs] was raised against Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen [SEA] and a pair of M Abs was employed in sandwich ELISA for the detection of circulating schistosomal antigens [CSA]. The vaccinated groups showed a significant increase of Ab [OD] and a significant drop of Ag [OD]. They also showed a significant increase in liver egg load and a very highly significant decrease in the intestinal egg load that was associated with a highly significant reduction in liver granuloma size as compared with the control non-immunized mice