Garlic attenuates histological and histochemical alterations in livers of Schistosoma mansoni infected mice.

Interest in screening for new anti-schistosomal agents is growing because of increased concerns about resistance to and safety of praziquantel. We investigated the anti-schistosomal action of prophylactic and therapeutic doses of garlic on the histological and histochemical alterations caused by Schistosoma mansoni infection. Livers of infected mice were characterized by granulomas, periportal inflammation and fibrosis, hepatocyte vacuolation, fatty degeneration and necrosis, and hypertrophy and pigmentation of Kupffer cells. Significant depletion of carbohydrates and increased lipid vacuoles also were observed. All garlic regimens caused suppression of granuloma formation and amelioration of histological and histochemical changes; the continuous treatment protocol produced the best results. Garlic appears to be a safe and economical anti-schistosomal adjuvant for attenuating the pathogenicity of schistosomiasis.

Ultrastructural localization of the 9-kilodalton vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein in the murine intraplacental yolk sac.

The calcium-binding protein (CaBP) calbindin has been implicated in the molecular mechanism of placental calcium transfer. Previous light microscopic studies have identified CaBP in visceral (but not parietal) endodermal cells of the yolk sac with the most intense immunocytochemical signal observed in the intraplacental yolk sac. In the present studies, electron microscopy was used to study the localization of CaBP in placenta. Placentas of 17-day pregnant mice were fixed by perfusion in 0.5% glutaraldehyde, embedded in low-temperature Lowicryl K4M, and examined in thin section for specific labeling with a polyclonal antiserum. Antibody to CaBP was localized by using protein A-gold particles which were quantified for subcellular compartmentation by using a Videoplan computer system. A high signal for CaBP was found in the visceral endodermal cells of the intraplacental yolk sac. In these cells, gold particles indicating the location of CaBP were observed over 1) the cytoplasmic matrix where the average number of gold particles per micron 2 was 33; 2) the microvilli (17/micron 2); 3) the mitochondria (17/micron 2); and 4) the nucleus (43/micron 2). Sections from antigen-absorbed controls, by contrast, showed few gold particles: cytosol, 2/micron 2; microvilli, 5/micron 2; mitochondria, 5/micron 2; and nucleus, 4/micron 2. Electron-lucent profiles of the Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum contained no particles in the controls and a low particle count (4/micron 2) in the stained sections. Parietal endodermal cells of the intraplacental yolk sac showed a relatively low signal for CaBP compared with the visceral endodermal cells (5 particles/micron 2 vs. 39).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)