Indigofera oblongifolia as a fight against hepatic injury caused by murine trypanosomiasis

Trypanosoma evansi is a hazardous pathogenic parasite infecting a broad variety of livestock and affects wildlife worldwide. Trypanosoma evansi has gained resistance to most drugs used; therefore, it requires alternative medicines. The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of Indigofera oblongifolia leaf extract (IE) on T. evansi-induced hepatic injury.

Mice were once infected with 1000 T. evansi. The treated group was gavaged with 100 mg/Kg IE after infection. Histological and biochemical changes in mice hepatic tissue were studied. Also, the oxidative damage in the liver was evaluated through determining the level of glutathione (GSH), Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and catalase (CAT) markers. IE was able to suppress the induced parasitemia due to infection. Also, IE improved the histological liver architecture. Furthermore, the liver enzymes, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were improved after IE mice were treated. IE protects against hepatic damage caused by trypanosomiasis in mice. Further studies are needed to isolate the active compounds in IE and to monitor these compunds’ ameliorative function.

Vitamin D receptor regulates intestinal inflammatory response in mice infected with blood stage malaria

Malaria is a harmful disease affecting both tropical and subtropical countries and causing sometimes fatal complications. The effects of malaria-related complications on the intestine have been relatively neglected, and the reasons for the intestinal damage caused by malaria infection are not yet clear. The present study aims to evaluate the influence of intestinal vitamin D receptor on host-pathogen interactions during malaria induced in mice by Plasmodium chabaudi. To induce the infection, animals were infected with 10⁶P. chabaudi-parasitized erythrocytes. Mice were sacrificed on day 8 post-infection. The infected mice experienced a significant body weight loss and parasitaemia affecting about 46% of RBCs. Infection caused marked pathological changes in the intestinal tissue indicated by shortening of the intestine and villi. Moreover, the phagocytic activity of macrophages increased significantly (P < 0.01) in the infected villi compared to the non-infected ones. Infection by the parasite also induced marked upregulation of nuclear factor-kappa B, inducible nitric oxide synthase, Vitamin D Receptor, interleukin-1β, tumour necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma-mRNA. It can be implied from this that vitamin D receptor has a role in regulating malarial infection.

Effect of gold nanoparticles on mice splenomegaly induced by schistosomiasis mansoni

Schistosomiasis is still one of the main parasitic diseases that affect human health in tropical regions. Whilst praziquantel (PZQ) is the main classic antischistosomal drug, the need for new drugs is still a must due to the low effectiveness of the drug on the schistosome young worms, and the evolving of PZQ resistant strains. Nanotechnology is one of the most important recent and current methods used to treat human diseases including parasitic ones. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the curative role of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) on splenic tissue of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was used for characterization of nanoparticles (NP). GNPs of 1 mg/kg mice body weight were inoculated into mice infected with S. mansoni. The parasite caused deteriorations in histological architecture of the spleen tissue, and splenomegaly. Additionally, the parasite induced a significant reduction in splenic tissue glutathione levels; however, the concentrations of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde were significantly increased. Treatment of mice with GNPs reduced the extent of histological impairment and oxidative stress in spleen tissue. Therefore, our results demonstrate the protective role of GNPs against splenic damage in mice infected with S. mansoni.

Efficacy of Gold Nanoparticles against Nephrotoxicity Induced by Schistosoma mansoni Infection in Mice

OBJECTIVE

In this study, the ameliorative effects of gold nanoparticles (gold NP) on the renal tissue damage in Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni)-infected mice was investigated.

METHODS

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was used for the characterization of NP. The gold NP at concentrations of 250, 500, and 1000 μg/kg body weight were inoculated into S. mansoni-infected mice.

RESULTS

The parasite caused alterations in the histological architecture. Furthermore, it induced a significant reduction in the renal glutathione levels; however, the levels of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde were significantly elevated. The parasite also managed to downregulate KIM-1, NGAL, MCP-1, and TGF-β mRNA expression in infected animals. Notably, gold NP treatment in mice reduced the extent of histological impairment and renal oxidative damage. Gold NP were able to regulate gene expression impaired by S. Mansoni infection.

CONCLUSION

The curative effect of gold NP against renal toxicity in S. mansoni-infected mice is associated with their role as free radical scavengers.

Corvus R. ruficollis (desert or brown necked raven): a reservoir host for zoonotic parasites in Egypt

Egypt includes many desert and rural areas. The small uptown fertile areas are placed under illegal enormous pressure of existing resources, where intensive agricultural practices are performed in combination with high population densities. The brown necked ravens (Corvus ruficollis) are attracted in huge numbers to such areas. The birds are omnivorous, very aggressive pest and seriously affect human welfare. The study focused on zoonotic role of ravens.

The impact of three anopheline mosquito species in Toshka, on the introduction of chloroquine resistant P. falciparum to Egypt

Malaria still tops the prevalent human arthropod-borne diseases. In Egypt, sporadic cases of human malaria were reported with a focus in Al-Fayoum. Besides, many Egyptian Anopheles species were reported allover which are either malaria vectors or incriminated ones. This study recorded An. multicolor, An. sergentii, and An. algeriensis in Toshka. Many authors reported that A. sergentii is a malaria-vector and A. multicolor is a suspected vector. Consquently, the endemicity of Chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum on the Egyptian-Sudanese border pave the way for malignant malaria transmission particularly among travelers returning back from Sudan.

Zoonotic Dicrocoeliasis dendriticum in a farmer's family at Giza Governorate, Egypt

Dicrocoeliasis (Lancet liver fluke disease) is caused by Dicrocoelium dendriticum, a trematode living in bile ducts of sheep, cattle and other mammals including man. Human infection is asymptomatic or mild to moderately severe, but being sporadic or rarely reported. This paper reported zoonotic dicrocoeliasis dendriticum among a farmer's family and his domestic animals. The father and mother were successfully treated with Triclabendazole and the children and animals were successfully treated with Mirazid and Oleo-resin solution of Commiphora molmol respectively.

Percutaneous transhepatic insertion of a jejunal feeding tube

The insertion of a jejunal feeding tube through the same track used to decompress the biliary system is described in a patient with biliary and gastric outlet obstruction.

Anaplastic transformation of thyroid cancer: report of two cases and review of the literature

Transformation of well-differentiated thyroid adenocarcinoma to anaplastic cancer has been occasionally reported. Two new cases of such transformation are now described. The time interval from diagnosis to the development of anaplastic cancer was 15 years in the first patient and 10 years in the second. Both patients ultimately developed extensive bilateral pulmonary metastases and died within 6 months from the diagnosis of the transformation. Hypotheses concerning the pathogenesis of the transformation and the literature were reviewed. We believe that histopathological confirmation of recurrent and rapidly progressive thyroid tumors is necessary prior to initiation of therapy.

Severe nephrotoxicity: a probable complication of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (II) and cephalothin-gentamicin therapy

A 53-year-old patient with metastatic testicular choriocarcinoma died of renal failure after treatment with cis-platinum and antibiotics. Serum creatinine was first noted to be elevated on day 8 of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (DDP) therapy. However, a sharp rise in its level occurred soon after the start of antibiotic therapy with cephalothin, gentamicin and carbenicillin. Renal failure was progressive in nature and persisted until death occurred on day 24 of therapy and after 8 days of antibiotic treatment. The most likely explanation for the progressive worsening of renal function in this patient was renal injury incurred by DDP and antibiotics. The combination of cephalothin-gentamicin should be discouraged in the treatment of patients receiving platinum.