Experimental parasitology最新文献

{"title":"In vivo study of nano chitosan beads-based ELISA versus traditional sandwich ELISA for the early diagnosis of trichinosis","authors":"Abeer M.A. Mahgoub ,&nbsp;Mona Ibrahim Ali ,&nbsp;Enas Yahia Abu-Sarea ,&nbsp;Sara Ahmed Rady ,&nbsp;Ibrahim Rabea Bayoumi Ali ,&nbsp;Doaa Reda Sayed","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108865","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human trichinosis is a serious foodborne parasitic zoonosis. Diagnosing human trichinosis is usually difficult due to the nonspecific clinical picture and the limited effectiveness of serological tests in acute infections. While ELISA can detect circulating Trichinella antigens, aiding in early diagnosis, its sensitivity may be low. The application of nanoparticles can improve the sensitivity of ELISA and allow a specific early diagnosis of the disease. This work compares the nano chitosan beads-based ELISA (NCSB-ELISA) and traditional sandwich ELISA for the detection of circulating <em>Trichinella spiralis</em> (<em>T</em>. <em>spiralis</em>) crude extract-antigen (CEA) in serum samples of experimentally infected mice.</div><div>Fifty-seven mice included in this study were classified into 3 groups: <em>T. spiralis</em> infected group (Group I) (36 mice), which was equally subdivided into six subgroups according to the time of sacrifice (6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16) days post-infection (dpi), cross-reactivity group (Group II) (9 mice) and negative control group (Group III) (12 mice). <em>T. spiralis</em> AW-CEA prepared from the adult worms were used to produce anti- <em>T. spiralis</em> IgG-polyclonal antibodies in rabbits; these antibodies were utilized to detect AW-CEA in serum samples by traditional sandwich ELISA and NCSB-ELISA. Using NCSB-ELISA, <em>T. spiralis</em> AW-CEA was detected in sera collected at 8 dpi, with a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 100%. Meanwhile, traditional sandwich ELISA could not detect the antigen at the same time interval. Both ELISA were able to detect the antigen in samples collected at 10, 12, 14 and 16 dpi with a sensitivity of 16.67%, 50%, 67.67% and 83.67%, respectively, for traditional sandwich-ELISA and a specificity of 100% at 10, 12 and 14 dpi while at 16 dpi specificity was decreased to 90.91%. In contrast, the sensitivity of NCSB-sandwich ELISA on the same days was 66.67%, 83.34%, 100% and 100%, respectively, with a specificity of 100% at all days. False positive detection of <em>T. spiralis</em> AW-CEA in the serum of mice in GII was recorded on day 16 pi by only traditional sandwich ELISA.</div><div>This study concluded that NCSB-ELISA is a promising and sensitive technique for the early and specific diagnosis of acute trichinosis in an animal model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 108865"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Discriminatory dose of nitroxynil and albendazole sulfoxide using a modified egg hatch test of Fasciola hepatica","authors":"Desiree V. Pontarolo,&nbsp;Marcelo B. Molento","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fasciolosis is a food-borne anthropozoonotic disease caused by <em>Fasciola</em> spp. that affects multiple hosts, including ruminants and humans. <em>In vitro</em> testing of anthelmintics is of interest to establish the drug's activity without the need for time-consuming and expensive <em>in vivo</em> assays. This study was set to establish a discriminatory dose (DD) by running a dose-titration <em>in vitro</em> experiment (egg hatch test, EHT) of albendazole sulfoxide (ABZ.SO) and nitroxynil (NTX) on eggs of a field strain of <em>Fasciola hepatica</em>. Eggs were recovered from adult parasites isolated from intact bovine livers obtained from a single farm in Paraná, Brazil (<em>Fh</em>Par2022 strain) with no ABZ or NTX treatment history. Two hundred eggs were exposed to 18 and 14 concentrations of ABZ.SO and NTX, respectively, for 12h and incubated for 16 days. Egg development and integrity were determined every other day, establishing an index of morphological modification of the different phases. A concentration-dependent effect was observed for egg development in both compounds. ABZ.SO solutions prevent egg hatch, except for the two lowest concentrations. We observed no egg hatch at 6.250–100.0 μmol L⁻¹ for NTX. NTX had an inhibition concentration of 50% (IC₅₀) of 0.043 μmol L⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of (R²) 0.961. ABZ.SO had an IC₅₀ of 0.00099 μmol L⁻¹ with a low R² of 0.417. Morphological damage was also associated with the increasing concentration of both drugs. Moreover, it was noted that most eggs that reached the eye spot type could hatch, except at 0.39 and 3.12 μmol L⁻¹ of NTX. In ABZ.SO, hatching occurred only at 0.00038, 0.0007, and 0.0015 μmol L-1 concentrations. The obtained DDs of 0.043 μmol L⁻¹ for NTX and 0.00099 μmol L⁻¹ for ABZ.SO can be used to monitor efficacy in field isolates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 108884"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142871854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Studies of the FBT family transporters in Leishmania infantum by gene deletion and protein localization","authors":"Sophia Bigot ,&nbsp;Amin Ahmed Ouameur ,&nbsp;Gaétan Roy ,&nbsp;Raouia Fakhfakh,&nbsp;Jean-François Ritt,&nbsp;Danielle Légaré,&nbsp;Marc Ouellette","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The protozoan parasite <em>Leishmania</em> has a large family of major facilitator membrane proteins part of the Folate Biopterin Transporter (FBT) family. The chromosome 10 of <em>Leishmania</em> has a cluster of 7 FBT genes including the S-Adenosyl methionine (AdoMet) transporter and the functionally characterized folate transporters FT1 and FT5. Six of the 7 FBT proteins coded by this locus are located at the plasma membrane as determined by gene fusions with the green fluorescent protein. We deleted the whole locus of 7 genes (&gt;30 kb) using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing as a first step in studying the potential function of the four uncharacterized FBT genes from the locus. This knock out strain was viable, highly resistant to sinefungin (an AdoMet analogue) and to methotrexate (a folate analogue) but not to allopurinol, pentamidine or 5-fluorouracil. We similarly studied another FBT family member whose gene is encoded on chromosome 19. The protein was also located at the plasma membrane and its gene was dispensable for growth and not associated to any of the drug tested. Our work has indicated that large diploid deletion is achievable in <em>Leishmania</em> and the cell lines produced here will serve to better understand the function and putative substrates of these FBT proteins yet to be characterized.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 108880"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142871894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Expression pattern of ARG1 and iNOS genes in macrophages of Rhombomys opimus, BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice exposed to Leishmania major and salivary gland homogenates of Phlebotomus papatasi","authors":"Maryam Shirazian ,&nbsp;Niloofar Taghipour ,&nbsp;Amir Ahmad Akhavan ,&nbsp;Seyyed Javad Seyyed Tabaei ,&nbsp;Mohammad Reza Abaei ,&nbsp;Fahimeh Firouzjaie ,&nbsp;Mahboubeh Fatemi ,&nbsp;Nariman Mosaffa ,&nbsp;Vahideh Moin Vaziri","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108863","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108863","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Early interactions between <em>Leishmania</em>-macrophages (MQ) of host and effect of sand fly saliva are central to leishmaniasis outcome. Macrophages are able to kill or act as long-term hosts of parasite depending on host immunity. It proved that immunogenic proteins in sand fly saliva mostly have an exacerbating effect on leishmaniasis by up-regulating cytokines. We have explored expression of Arginase 1 (ARG1) and inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) genes in macrophages of three different rodents, BALB/c (susceptible), C57BL/6 (resistant) and <em>Rhombomys opimus</em> (<em>R. opimus</em>, natural reservoir) in presence of <em>Leishmania major</em> (<em>L. major</em>), salivary gland homogenate (SGH) of <em>Phlebotomus papatasi</em> (<em>Ph. papatasi</em>) and finally <em>L. major</em> + SGH. Stationary phase of promastigotes was used; salivary glands were extracted from female of <em>Ph. papatasi</em> (3–5 day-old/non-blood fed). SGH prepared by sonication. Macrophages harvested from the peritoneal cavity of each rodent and grouped as follow; 1) macrophage (control group), 2) MQ + <em>L.major</em> 3) MQ + SGH 4) MQ + <em>L.major</em> + SGH. After 6 h of incubation, culture medium supernatant collected, RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis performed, expression level of desired genes checked by Real-time PCR. ARG1 expression pattern in MQ + SGH and MQ + <em>L.major</em> group showed the highest and lowest expressions level respectively in BALB/c and C57BL/6. But, in MQ + <em>L.major</em> + SGH, although the highest ARG1 expression happened in BALB/c again, the lowest one observed in <em>R. opimus</em>. On the other hand, iNOS expression showed significant increase in all treated group of C57BL/6 macrophages. Interestingly, iNOS expression showed significant differences in MQ + <em>L.major</em> group of C57BL/6 in comparison to other rodents. Expression of ARG1 and iNOS in macrophages of BALB/c and C57BL/6 and <em>R. opimus</em> are different and can justify their clinical outcome of disease. The difference in gene expression pattern is related to the genetics of host and shows that genetic differences between hosts can affect the immune responses caused by saliva proteins even of the same species of sand fly.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 108863"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142709684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of NF-κB transcription factor in the regulation of cytokine induced thermal hyperalgesia in a Leishmania major model in BALB/c mice","authors":"Reem Hoblos ,&nbsp;Karl Khalil ,&nbsp;Marc Karam ,&nbsp;Samer Bazzi","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108864","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108864","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused mainly by <em>Leishmania major</em> (<em>L. major</em>) is one of the trending models used to investigate induced hyperalgesia and the involved cytokines. Previous studies approached the role of several cytokines in the observed hyperalgesia, but the molecular mechanisms orchestrating such a response still needed to be addressed. In this study, we inspect the role of the NF-κB in the modulation of <em>L. major-prompted</em> hyperalgesia and cytokine expression in BALB/c mice by administering celastrol, a potent blocker of this transcription factor. Intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg of celastrol attenuated the <em>L. major</em>-induced thermal hyperalgesia in BALB/c mice for 15 days and 21 days, respectively, as detected by hot plate and tail flick behavioral assessments. Cytokine levels were quantified in the infected paws of BALB/c mice using Sandwich ELISA. The administration of 1 mg/kg celastrol decreased TNF-α levels in <em>L. major</em> infected mice for 23 days, and IL-1β expression declined significantly for 23 days using both celastrol dosages. However, no significant change was observed in the levels of IL-10 in our experimental groups. The activation of NF-κB was detected by observing the phosphorylation levels of the p65 subunit using PathScan phospho-ELISA. The level of NF-κB phosphorylation was elevated in <em>L. major</em> infected BALB/c mice. Only administering 1 mg/kg celastrol suppressed the phosphorylation of p65, thus inactivating NF-kB. In conclusion, our results provide new insights into the correlation between the activation of NF-kB, the induction of thermal hyperalgesia, and the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β in <em>the L. major-</em>induced hyperalgesia model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 108864"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142692833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A rapid and simple micro-assay to assess catalase activity in individual mosquito tissues","authors":"Mikkel C.E. Ward,&nbsp;Ann M. Fallon","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108862","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108862","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oxidative stress generated as a normal byproduct of aerobic metabolism is minimized by the enzyme catalase (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6), which reduces hydrogen peroxide to molecular oxygen and water. In various mosquitoes, hydrogen peroxide and/or CAT activity have been implicated in oxidative responses to viral and protozoal pathogens as well as in ovarian maturation and insecticide resistance. We combined features of various CAT assays to develop a simple micro-assay that enables comparison of enzyme activities in individual mosquito tissues on a microscope slide. Activity recovered in the supernatant of mosquito whole body homogenates was inhibited by the CAT-specific inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. Activity was higher in blood-fed mosquitoes, consistent with exogenous enzyme in vertebrate blood. Triton X-100 improved evaluation of dissected organs, and accurate comparisons required careful removal of extraneous tissues. In unfed mosquitoes baseline CAT activity was lower in ovaries than in midgut or fatbody, but increased as oocytes matured after a blood meal, and was detectable in a single mature egg. CAT has unusual kinetics and can be difficult to assay directly. Our observations provide a simple approach for direct evaluation of CAT activity independent of changes in transcript levels and results of RNAi-based interference.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 108862"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142617226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Saikosaponin inhibits Eimeria tenella infection by modifying the NF-κB pathway and regulating cytokines and the intestinal microbial community","authors":"Xinru Meng ,&nbsp;Xiaofeng Gan ,&nbsp;Yingbo Wang ,&nbsp;Qiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Xinran Duan ,&nbsp;Yanchun Wang ,&nbsp;Quan Zhao ,&nbsp;Yanan Cai","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108861","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108861","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Eimeria tenella</em> (<em>E. tenella</em>) is an intestinal parasite that not only endangers the health of broiler chickens but may also cause death in severe cases. However, the growing critical problem of drug resistance in <em>E. tenella</em> complicates therapy. Consequently, a more natural and safer technique for treating <em>E. tenella</em> is urgently warranted. Saikosaponin (SS) is a saponin component extracted from the traditional Chinese herb Chaihu that has been demonstrated to treat various diseases. However, little is known regarding the function of SS in <em>E. tenella</em> treatment. In the present investigation, SS lowered the weight loss rate and increased the survival rate of broiler chickens infected with <em>E. tenella</em>. SS inhibited the NF-κB pathway and regulated the gut microbiota structure to inhibit <em>E. tenella</em>-induced inflammatory damage in broiler chickens. In addition, 16S high-throughput sequencing results demonstrated that SS reconstructed the gut microbiota of <em>E. tenella</em> infected broilers, preserving gut microbial balance, increasing the production of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), repairing intestinal villi and intestinal wall integrity, and decreasing inflammatory cell infiltration in the cecum. Overall, these findings show that SS could prevent <em>E. tenella</em>-induced inflammatory damage in broiler chickens by blocking the NF-κ B pathway and regulating the gut microbiota composition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 108861"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142617233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the therapeutic effects of curcumin nanocapsules in hydatid cyst-infected mice","authors":"Negar Sorouri ,&nbsp;Nooshinmehr Soleymani ,&nbsp;Soheil Sadr ,&nbsp;Abbas Rahdar ,&nbsp;Elahe Ebrahimzadeh ,&nbsp;Hassan Borji","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108860","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108860","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background/objective</h3><div>The primary treatment for cysts is surgery, including removing the cyst and administering the appropriate chemical drugs. Herbal remedies have gained popularity as a viable and secure alternative to conventional pharmaceuticals. It may be advantageous to use nanocapsules to overcome the bioavailability challenges associated with herbal remedies like curcumin. The present study aims to provide insights into the effectiveness of curcumin nanocapsules in treating hydatid infections.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Curcumin-loaded oil-in-water surfactant-based biocompatible nanomicelles were developed from dissolving Curcumin in 1% (w/w) solutions of ethyl butyrate oil by dissolving an amount of fatty acid sodium caprylate (SC, 0.09 g) and F127 (0.009 g), phosphate-buffered saline (PBS at pH 7.4) under vigorous stirring at a fixed ethyl butyrate-to-surfactant molar ratio of 10 and final total volume of 50 mL. The excess of free PHT was eliminated by dialysis for 24 h. Following five months after infection, 45 mice were divided into six groups. Groups 1, 2, and 3 were treated daily with curcumin nanocapsules (0.5, 0.25, 0.125 mg/ml) for one month. Group 4 was treated with curcumin (0.5 mg/ml), group 5 was treated with albendazole (150 mg/kg), and group 6 was the negative control group without treatments (only received saline). A detailed analysis of the cysts' physical characteristics, including their size and weight, has been conducted.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The mean zeta potential spectrum of the nanocapsules was −33.96 mV. Regarding the total cyst numbers, all three nanocapsule groups had significantly lower total cyst numbers than the curcumin, albendazole, and negative control groups. Regarding the total cyst weight, all three nanocapsule groups had a significantly lower total cyst weight than the curcumin and negative control groups. Regarding the cyst with the maximum size, nanocapsules groups 1 and 2 had a significantly smaller size than the curcumin, albendazole, and negative control groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The current study found that encapsulation positively affects curcumin efficacy as a superior alternative to chemical drugs, offering both biological advantages and environmental benefits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 108860"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142617283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The molecular and histopathological investigations of TLR2 rs5743708 and TLR4 (rs4986790 and rs4986791) polymorphisms effects on cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions","authors":"Mohammad-Hossein Feiz-Haddad ,&nbsp;Mohammad-Ali Moradkhani ,&nbsp;Farshid Sefat ,&nbsp;S.A. Ali","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108857","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108857","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), a zoonotic and neglected disease, is prevalent in numerous regions, particularly in tropical and sub-tropical countries. In Iran, endemic foci of leishmaniasis exist in specific regions, with zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) caused by &lt;em&gt;Leishmania major&lt;/em&gt; being common in most rural areas. Toll-like receptors (&lt;em&gt;TLRs&lt;/em&gt;) play a crucial role in both innate and adaptive immunities, and the investigation of &lt;em&gt;TLR2&lt;/em&gt; rs5743708 and &lt;em&gt;TLR4&lt;/em&gt; (rs4986790 and rs4986791) polymorphisms in parasitic diseases can have significant implications for patient treatment. In the present study, a total of 88 leishmaniasis patients using the patients' lesions from Khuzestan province health-treatment centers, Iran, including 50 cases (56.8%; Central region) and 38 cases (43.2%; Western region) underwent examination between the years 2022 and 2023. Two direct smears from the lesions of each patient were prepared and one of the smears was stained with Giemsa for parasitological examination. Among the 88 patients, the highest frequency was observed in the 21–30 years' age group (35.2%), while the lowest was in the 11–20 years’ age group (10.2%). No statistically significant relationship was found between gender and age (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &gt; 0.05). Following disease confirmation via microscopic examination, &lt;em&gt;TLR2&lt;/em&gt; rs5743708 and &lt;em&gt;TLR4&lt;/em&gt; (rs4986790 and rs4986791) polymorphisms in the patients were assessed using PCR-RFLP. Fragments of 264, 249, and 406 base pairs were successfully amplified, targeting the &lt;em&gt;TLR2&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;TLR4&lt;/em&gt; genes, respectively. Out of the 88 leishmaniasis patients, 14 cases (15.9%) exhibited polymorphisms. Notably, all individuals in the polymorphism group carried both the &lt;em&gt;TLR2&lt;/em&gt; rs5743708 homozygous and the &lt;em&gt;TLR4&lt;/em&gt; rs4986791 heterozygous genotype combinations. There were no observations of &lt;em&gt;TLR2&lt;/em&gt; rs5743708 heterozygous, &lt;em&gt;TLR4&lt;/em&gt; rs4986790 heterozygous and homozygous and &lt;em&gt;TLR4&lt;/em&gt; rs4986791 homozygous genotypes within the polymorphism group. Biopsies from lesions for all contributors were prepared for histopathological examination. All patients with polymorphism showed larger lesions than patients without polymorphism (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). Histophatological study showed abnormal cases in patients with polymorphism including mild hyperkeratosis, mild acanthosis, focal parakeratosis in the epithelium surface and mild hyperpigmentation of melanocytes in the basal layer. Furthermore, a strong infiltration of immune cells such as PMNs and a small number of lymphocytes was observed in the epidermal region of patients with polymorphisms. There was no statistically significant relationship between age and the quantity of lesions (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &gt; 0.05). Additionally, some regions of the epidermal surface layer displayed pustule formation in patients with polymorphisms. No significant difference was discerned in the dermal layers of patients with polymor","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 108857"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142617297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation, characterization, and in vivo activity of Gossypium hirsutum niosomes against cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major in a murine model: Parasite burden, gene expression, and histopathological profiling","authors":"Iraj Sharifi ,&nbsp;Ehsan Salarkia ,&nbsp;Shahriar Dabiri ,&nbsp;Abbas Pardakhty ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Sharifi ,&nbsp;Neda Mohamadi","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108859","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108859","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of conventional drugs is not a satisfactory treatment for the disease. Therefore, there is a crucial need for alternative therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to investigate the potential anti-leishmanial activity of <em>Gossypium hirsutum</em> niosomes against cutaneous leishmaniasis in a murine model and evaluate their effectiveness by assessing parasite burden, immunomodulatory gene expression, and histopathological profile. We prepared <em>G. hirsutum</em> niosomes and characterized their morphology, size, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and encapsulation efficiency. The <em>in vivo</em> anti-leishmanial activity of the niosomes was evaluated by assessing parasite burden, histopathological profile, and gene expression level. The spleen parasite load in BALB/c mice treated with different groups of <em>G. hirsutum</em> niosomes and <em>G. hirsutum</em> extracts (30%), demonstrated a significant decrease compared to Glucantime®. The least number of leishmanial parasites was observed in H and E-stained histological sections (grade+1), followed by <em>G. hirsutum</em> niosomes or <em>G. hirsutum</em> crude extract (grade+3), Glucantime® (grade+4) and the highest number in the untreated control group (grade+6). There was a substantial difference (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) among various treatment groups. Moreover, <em>G. hirsutum</em> niosomes up-regulated the levels of the gene (particularly IFN-γ, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) compared to the extract form and Glucantime®. In contrast, IL-4, IL-10, and TNF-β were significantly decreased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) in comparison to untreated control. These results suggest that <em>G. hirsutum</em> niosomes have the potential to be considered a promising alternative therapy for leishmaniasis. Further research is warranted to explore their mechanism of action and optimize their formulation for clinical use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 108859"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142587413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}