Evaluation of the efficacy of nitazoxanide and amebazole in treatment of cryptosporidiosis in immunosuppressed mice / Asmaa Ahmed Abdelkader ; Supervised Alyaa Ahmed Farid , Neveen Adel Madbouly , Ibrahim Rabae Shalash

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Science - Department of Zoology

Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) is an intestinal parasitic infection affecting both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent individuals. Considering the absence of effective treatment against cryptosporidiosis especially in immunodeficient patients, the present study was designed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of secnidazole (SEC) and its combination with nitazoxanide (NTZ) in comparison to single NTZ treatment in relation to the immune status on a murine model of C. parvum infection. The infected groups were administered NTZ, SEC or NTZ-SEC combination for 3 or 5 successive doses. At days 10 and 12, post infection (PI), the mice were sacrificed, and the efficacy of the applied drugs was evaluated by comparing the histopathological alterations in ileum and measuring the T helper (Th1): (Interferon Gamma; IFN-Þ), Th2: (Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10) and Th17: (IL-17) cytokine profiles in serum. The NTZ-SEC combination recorded the maximal reduction of C. parvum oocysts shedding, endogenous stages count and intestinal histopathology regardless to the immune status of the infected mice.The efficacy of NTZ-SEC combination was dependent on the period of administration as the 5 days based treatment protocol was more effective than 3 days based one in immunocompetence and immunosuppression as well.The present treatment schedule induced immunomodulatory effect of SEC that develops a protective immune response against C. parvum infection with reduced production of serum IL-17, IFN-Þ, IL-4 and IL-10. Application of NTZ-SEC combined therapy may be useful in treatment of C. parvum especially in case of immunosuppression

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