Mirazid in treatment of three zoonotic trematodes in Beni-Sweif and Dakhalia Governorates

A total of 60 patients with schistosomiasis (40), fascialiosis (15) and heterophyiasis (5) were selected Beni-Sweif and Mansoura Districts and subjected to history taking, clinical examination, Kato thick smear, sedimentation and hatching test (for schistosomiasis cases) at the beginning of the study, 2 & 3 months after treatment with Oleo-resin of Myrrh (Mirazid) in a dose of 10 mg/kg/day for 6 consecutive days an hour before breakfast. The results showed a significant improvement in symptoms with minimal negligible or no side effects. The cure rates, 2 & 3 months after treatment were 80.7%% & 11.8%% for schistosomiasis, 93.3% & 6.6% for fascioliasis, and 100% for heterophyiasis. The clinical picture of schistosomiasis before treatments were easy fatigability, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, epigastria pain, abdominal distention, right upper guardant pain, colicky abdominal pain, left upper and/or lower guardant pain, abdominal rumbling, dysentery, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, constipation, and alternating bowel habit. Those of fascioliasis were abdominal distention, dripping of saliva, right upper guardant, colicky abdominal pain, weight loss, easy fatigability, intermittent jaundice, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, epigastria, left upper and/or lower quadrant pain, right layer quadrant pain, loin pain, abdominal rumbling, diarrhea, constipation, and alternating bowel habit. The safety and efficacy of C. molmol extract in treating heterophyiasis (100%), fascioliasis (100%) and schistosomiasis (92.5%) were documented.

Early development of osteoporosis in male smokers with hypoandrogenism due to fascioliasis with or without schistosomiasis added by life style

The multifactor outcome of hypoandrogenemia with the impact of oxidative stress induced by glucose intolerance, fascioliasis with or without schistosomiasis and cumulative smoking influence on bone remodeling and the early development of osteoporotic manifestations were studied. The effect on vascular endothelium immune mediated mechanisms and antioxidant capacity were monitored in cases of youth aged selected male smokers involving 20 with hypoandrogenemia who were either subjected to sedentary life style, glucose intolerance fascioliasis hepatic fibrosis (FHF) (G1) or without (G2) and GI after following 6 months therapy (G3). Monitoring of clinical picture and biochemical assessments of osteoporotic indices (osteocolcin, bone alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, urinary cyclic AMP), hypoandrogenism (dehydroepiandrosterane sulphate or DHEAS & testosterone) glycemic determinant (insulin) immuno-inflammatory response (interleukein-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, E-selectin, ceruloplasmin) smoking index (serum cotinine), total antioxidant capacity (AOC) and lipid peroxidation (malonedialdehyde) was done before and after 6 months therapeutic program involving supplement of DHEAS, mirazid, chromium picolinate, and megavit zinc alongside smoking cessation and physical exercise daily for at least 30 minutes. Treatment with Mirazid supplied as 10 mg/kg for 6 successive days resulted in 100% cure of fascioliasis whether single or combined with schistosomiasis.

Oxidative stress and immune-suppression in Toxoplasma gondii positive blood donors: implications for safe blood transfusion

The sero-markers of Toxoplasma gondii and oxidative stress (OS) were determined in a group of 260 blood donors attending blood banks in Greater Cairo. Twenty-four blood donors with the highest anti-T. gondii IgG titre were tested for IgG avidity. Of whom 4 (16.6%) had low IgG avidity antibodies, documenting recent infection, 6 (25%) had borderline avidity and 14 (58.3%) showed high avidity, ruling out recent infection. The plasma level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly higher and activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and level of tocopherol (alpha, gamma, & lambda) fractions (P < 0.001) were lower in T. gondii-seropositive than in seronegative blood donors. This significant alteration in redox status between seropositive and seronegative donors suggested a degradation of their antioxidant enzymes caused by OS induced by increased free radicals attributable to toxoplasmosis infection. T. gondii infection also had a prominent influence on the association between OS biomarkers and immune-suppression status in seropositive donors.

Experimental study on respiratory cryptosprodiosis

Cryptosporidiosis has a worldwide geographical and zoological distribution. Cryptosporidium baileyi oocysts were isolated from the bursa of Fabricius (BF) of 4 weeks-old of 100 broilers. Twenty five broiler chicks of 2 day old free from cryptosporidial infection were inoculated intratracheally at a dose of 1 x 10(6) chicks. Five chicks were sacrificed at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th day postinoculation. Selected tissues from bursa of Fabricius, cloaca, colon, caeci and tracheas were taken and examined directly by scraping technique for endogenous stages. The distribution of C. baileyi in different tissues in the case of intratracheal inoculation; trachea 23 (92 %) chicks infected, bursa of Fabricius 21 (84%) chicks, Cloaca 5 (16 %) chicks, Colon 1 (4%) chick and the caeci showing no infection. Daily examination of the intratracheal droppings inoculation was done at the 5th day and lasted for 18-20 days, the patent period.

Localization of leucine aminopeptidase in the Schistosoma mansoni eggs and in liver tissue from infected mice

Infection with Schistosoma mansoni causes hepatic granuloma formation and fibrosis in response to parasite eggs. The present work localized the leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) in S. mansoni eggs and in liver tissue sections from infected mice. Fresh eggs and livers obtained from infected hamsters were processed and stained with the L-leucine-7-amino-trifluoromethyl-coumarin specific substrate. The L-argnine-7-amino-trifluoro-methylcoumarin and Bestatin (leucine aminopeptidase inhibitor) were used to test the LAP substrate specificity and reactivity. The staining pattern for that enzyme in the egg and liver tissue reflects that the leucine aminopeptidase is a major egg constituent distributed in nearly all the egg except the spine. The control substrates confirmed the substrate broad specificity of LAP. In conclusion, the LAP enzyme is a major egg antigen and the target antigen for the antipathology vaccine development studies.