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@#Toxoplasma gondii, the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, infects about 30 – 50% of the world population. The currently available anti-Toxoplasma agents have serious limitations. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of two antimalarials; buparvaquone (BPQ) and chloroquine (CQ), on immunocompromised mice with chronic cerebral toxoplasmosis, using spiramycin as a reference drug. The assessed parameters included the estimation of mortality rates (MR) among mice of the different study groups, in addition to the examination of the ultrastructural changes in the brain tissues by transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that only CQ treatment could decrease the MR significantly with zero deaths, while both spiramycin and BPQ caused an insignificant reduction of MR compared to the infected non-treated group. All the used drugs decreased the number of mature ruptured cysts significantly compared to the infected non-treated group, while only CQ increased the number of atrophic and necrotic cysts significantly. Furthermore, both spiramycin and BPQ improved the microvasculopathy and neurodegeneration accompanying the infection with different degrees of reactive astrocytosis and neuronal damage with the best results regarding the repair of the microvascular damage with less active glial cells, and normal neurons in the CQ-treated group. In conclusion, this study sheds light on CQ and its excellent impact on treating chronic cerebral toxoplasmosis in an immunocompromised mouse model.
RESUMO
Objective To evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of Haishen-Xiyangshen-Gouqizi Koufuye(HXGK),an oral liquid of healthy food product,on the immunocompromised mouse model. Methods The cytotoxicity was assayed by the MTT method using murine monocyte macrophagse Raw264.7 cells. The in vitro phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells was assayed by the colorimet-ric neutral red phagocytosis test. In the in vivo mouse test,animals were randomized into six groups,each with ten mice:the normal control,model control,positive control groups and three HXGK(5,10,and 20 ml/kg)test groups. The immunocompromised mouse model was created by the intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg dexamethasone once every other day for a total of five times. After first time injection of dexamethasone,the normal control(without the dexamethasone injection)and model control groups were adminis-tered orally once a day with saline,the positive control group with 25 mg/kg levamisole,and the three test groups with 5,10 and 20 ml/kg HXGK,respectively,for a total of 21 days. Then the carbon particle clearance index,the spleen and thymus indices,and the leukocytes,lymphocytes,IgG and IgA in peripheral blood were measured respectively. Results Compared with the normal control, HXGK significantly enhanced the phagocytic index of RAW264.7 cells from 1.00 to 1.12(P<0.01)and 1.32(P<0.01)at the 100-and 20-fold diluted dosages,respectively,in the in vitro neutral red phagocytosis test. In the in vivo mouse test,compared with the model control group,HXGK at the doses of 5,10 and 20 ml/kg obviously increased the carbon particle clearance index about 1.8(P<0.01),1.5(P<0.05)and 1.7-fold(P<0.05)and improved the spleen index from 1.60 to 2.96(P<0.01),2.56(P<0.01)and 2.32(P<0.05),the thymus index from 1.31 to 1.46,1.59(P<0.05)and 1.71(P<0.05),respectively. Meanwhile,HXGH at the 5,10 and 20 ml/kg dosages also increased the leukocytes about 1.32,1.75(P<0.05)and 1.46 folds(P<0.05),the lymphocytes about 16 (P<0.01),20(P<0.01)and 19 folds(P<0.01),the IgG level about 19%,57%(P<0.01)and 64%(P<0.05),and the IgA lev-el about 65%(P<0.01),47%(P<0.05)and 44%(P<0.01),all in the peripheral blood respectively. Conclusion HXGH could significantly enhance the immune function of the immunocompromised mice.