In vivo antischistosomal activity profiling and efficacy of niosomal Spirulina platensis and praziquantel combined remedy against murine Schistosoma mansoni infection

Bibliographic Information
Authors: Abdel-Tawab H.; Al-Sayed S.E.; El-Ela F.I.A.; Ibrahim A.M.; Hammam O.A.; El-Mallah A.M.
Journal: Veterinary Parasitology
Publisher: Elsevier B.V.
Publication Date: January 2025
Volume / Issue: Volume 333
Article No.: 110340
ISSN: 3044017
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110340
Scopus: View on Scopus
PubMed: 39522370
Document Type: Article
Authors and Affiliations
Abdel-Tawab H., Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni–Suef, Egypt; Al-Sayed S.E., Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni–Suef, Egypt; El-Ela F.I.A., Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62511, Egypt; Ibrahim A.M., Medical Malacology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, 12411, Egypt; Hammam O.A., Pathology Departments, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, 12411, Egypt; El-Mallah A.M., Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni–Suef, Egypt
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a serious parasite disease with a high rate of mortality and negative financial impacts in subtropical and tropical locations like Egypt. The goal of this study was to investigate the anti-schistosomal effect of Spirulina platensis (SP) and Spirulina loaded niosomes (SPN), either in the presence or absence of praziquantel (PZQ) against S. mansoni in experimentally infected mice. Six groups have been involved in the study, five groups were infected with S. mansoni cercariae and subjected independently to different treatments of SP, SPN, and PZQ or the preceding two combinations, in addition to one untreated group which acts as a control. At the 8th week, mice were euthanized, and besides a histopathological assessment of the liver granuloma, the number of worms, tissue egg load, and oogram pattern were estimated. To evaluate the condition of the liver oxidative stress, the levels of malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione in liver homogenates were investigated. Additionally, to assess the anti-inflammatory properties, serum cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-13, and IL-10) and CD4+ immunohistochemistry expression were determined. The results demonstrated that each of the investigated parameters was significantly changed by both SPN and/or SPN with PZQ treatments alongside PZQ. The highest therapeutic effect was obtained in SPN combined with a half dose of PZQ which achieved 100 % reduction in both the total worm burden and the highest reduction in the intestinal (93.22 %) and hepatic (94.4 %) egg content, as well, moreover 40.5 % reduction of the granuloma size. Furthermore, serum cytokine levels {(TNF-α (11 ± 0.5 (P ˂ 0.001)), (IFN-γ (19.7 ± 1.2 (P ˂ 0.001)) and (IL-13 (53.65 ± 1.4 (P ˂ 0.001))}, as well as CD4+ cells (6.5 ± 0.65 (P ˂ 0.001)) were reduced. While, IL-10 (61.1 ± 2.1 (P ˂ 0.001)) was increased due to the same treatment additional to its antioxidant properties by reduced lipid peroxidation (LPO) (1.1975 ± 0.05(P ˂ 0.001)) but increased reduced glutathione (GSH) (2.31± 0.15 (P˂0.001)). In conclusion, SPN has a schistosomicidal, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective role. SPN has a strong synergistic effect when combined with PZQ which showed anti-inflammatory action. Hence, SPN + PZQ offers promising alternatives for future schistosomiasis therapeutic research. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Keywords
Anti-inflammatory; Niosomes; PZQ; S. mansoni; Spirulina platensis; Animals; Anthelmintics; Arthrospira platensis; Cytokines; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Liver; Male; Mice; Oxidative Stress; Praziquantel; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Spirulina; discocide; gamma interferon; glutathione; interleukin 10; interleukin 13; malonaldehyde; Spirulina extract; tumor necrosis factor; anthelmintic agent; cytokine; animal experiment; animal model; antioxidant activity; antischistosomal activity; Article; CD4+ T lymphocyte; clinical effectiveness; combination drug therapy; controlled study; dose response; drug activity; drug effect; drug efficacy; drug mechanism; immunohistochemistry; in vivo study; lipid peroxidation; mouse; nonhuman; parasite egg count; particle size; protein expression; Swiss Webster mouse; treatment outcome; zeta potential; animal; chemistry; drug therapy; metabolism; parasitology; veterinary medicine
Citation Information
Scopus Citations: 3
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