Olive (Olea europaea) leaf extract alters the cytokine profile of Leishmania major-infected macrophages: New insight into the underlying mechanism

This study aimed to identify the effects of olive leaf extract (OLE) on IFNγ, TNFα, TGFβ and nitric oxide (NO) resulted from macrophages infected with Leishmania major (L. major) amastigotes in the culture medium. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyse the level of Oleuropein in plant extract. To evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of OLE, the isolated BALB/c mice peritoneal macrophages were infected with L. major promastigotes and treated with 6.25, 12.5 and 25 μg/mL concentrations of OLE. To assess the cytokines, supernatants of cell cultures were harvested after 12, 24 and 48 hours. Cytokine production was evaluated by ELISA. Nitrite accumulation in the culture medium was assessed using the Griess reaction. The level of Oleuropein in the extract was 18.45% by HPLC. According to results, the production of IFNγ and TNFα was significantly increased when the infected and/or not infected macrophages with L. major promastigotes were affected by different concentrations of OLE. Conversely, the production of TGFβ was significantly decreased under the same conditions. Furthermore, the colorimetric determination of NO accumulation in the culture medium indicated that OLE has no effect on NO production. The study corroborates the immunomodulatory effects of OLE on L. major-infected macrophages.

First molecular identification of Leishmania species in a new endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Lorestan, Iran

OBJECTIVE

To identify Leishmania using PCR.

METHODS

This study was conducted from April 2009 to March 2011 in order to identify Leishmania species in a new endemic area of CL in Lorestan, Iran. Samples were taken from 62 patients that referred to the health centers in different cities of Lorestan province, the presence of Leishmania was confirmed using direct smear and then grown in NNN media and mass cultured in RPMI 1 640 medium supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum. DNA was extracted from cultured promastigotes and used in ITS-PCR.

RESULTS

45(72.6%) samples out of 62 showed a band in the range of 485 bp and 17 (27.4%) with a band in the range of 626 bp which were similar to standard strains of Leishmania tropica(L. tropica) and Leishmania major(L. major), respectively. 50 (65.80%) of samples were collected from people with no history of travel in at least a year prior to the onset which shows that indigenous source of infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Since the vector and reservoir of the two species are different, so precise and extensive control and prevention methods should be designed and carried out.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in bakery workers in khorramabad, lorestan iran

BACKGROUND

Food contamination may occur through production, processing, distribution and preparation. In Iran especially in Khorramabad, 33° 29' 16" North, 48° 21' 21" East, due to kind of nutrition, culture and economic status of people, bread is a part of the main meal and the consumption of bread is high. In this study, the bakery workers were studied for determining of intestinal parasites prevalence.

METHODS

The study was carried out during September to November 2010 in Khorramabad. All the 278 bakeries and the bakery workers including 816 people were studied in a census method and their feces were examined for the presence of parasites by direct wet-mount, Lugol's iodine solution, and formaldehyde-ether sedimentation, trichrome staining, and single round PCR (For discrimination of Entamoeba spp).

RESULTS

Ninety-six (11.9%) stool specimens were positive for different intestinal parasites. Intestinal parasites included Giardia lamblia 3.7%, Entamoeba coli 5.5%, Blastocystis sp. 2.1%, Entamoeba dispar 0.4%, Hymenolepis nana 0.1%, and Blastocystis sp. 0.1%.

CONCLUSION

In order to reduce the contamination in these persons, some cases such as stool exam every three months with concentration methods, supervision and application of accurate health rules by health experts, training in transmission of parasites are recommended.