Background: Currently, there is no effective adjunct to therapeutic drugs against acute toxoplasmosis. Curcumin (CUR) is one of the most promising naturally occurring agents with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-carcinogenic activity. It is hypothesized that improvement of CUR properties utilizing nanotechnology may be beneficial in enhancing its therapeutic effects. Objective: To evaluate the prophylactic immunostimulatory and therapeutic effects of CUR nanoemulsion in acute toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice. Material and Methods: A case-control experimental study was conducted including 45 Albino mice. Mice were divided into a control negative uninfected group I (5 mice) and experimental group II (40 mice) infected with the virulent RH strain to simulate acute toxoplasmosis. Group II was subdivided into four subgroups (10 mice each); IIa (control positive, infected non-treated), IIb (infected and prophylactically pre-treated with CUR nanoemulsion), IIc (post-infection treated with CUR nanoemulsion), and IId (postinfection treated with Spiramycin). The assessment parameters included estimation of the mortality rate, and parasite burden in impression smears from peritoneal fluids, livers, and spleens. Alterations in the tachyzoites morphological features among study groups were recorded using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: The mortality rate was relatively high (40%) by the 6 th day in the infected non-treated subgroup (IIa); with no mortality recorded in all treated experimental subgroups. The prophylactic CUR nanoemulsion pre-treated subgroup (IIb) had the highest percentage of tachyzoites reduction in the peritoneal fluids (78.13%), and in the livers and spleens impression smears (both 88.89%). In the two treated subgroups (IIc and IId), the recorded reduction percentages were 71.88%, 75%, respectively for peritoneal fluids; 81.48% for livers in both subgroups; and 85.42%, 84.73%, respectively for spleen impression smears. Examination of the peritoneal exudates using SEM showed deformed tachyzoites in all the treated subgroups. Conclusion:Our results indicate that CUR nanoemulsion is as effective as Spiramycin and has a promising medicinal effect on acute toxoplasmosis. Therefore, it may be used as an adjuvant to specific treatment with Spiramycin.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disease presenting clinically by abdominal pain with alteration of bowel habits. Although IBS has uncertain etiology, chronic gut inflammation due to persistent exposure to an infectious agent including Blastocystis sp. was proposed. Aim: to determine the prevalence of Blastocystis hominis infestation in Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and determining the immunomodulatory effect of Blastocystis hominis on SLE pathogenesis. Subjects and Methods: A total number of 84 patients attending the SCU hospital outpatient clinics (40 IBS patients / 24 SLE patients / 20 healthy controls) were enrolled in the study and a stool and blood samples were collected. Blastocystis was detected by PCR and serum IL-6 assay by ELISA. Results: Among IBS patients, Blastocystis sp. could be detected at a frequency of 2.5% (1/40), 27.5% (11/40) using direct microscopy and PCR assay respectively while among SLE/IBS patients, it could be detected at a frequency of 8.33% (2/24), 41.66% (10/24). IL-6 assay was higher in PCR positive patients in all study groups. Conclusions: The prevalence of Blastocystis hominis infestation is higher in SLE patients who had IBS compared to IBS patients or asymptomatic controls; with evidence of IL-6 increase in their sera suggesting an immunomodulatory interaction between SLE and Blastocystis hominis.

Background: Previously, we showed that curcumin (CUR) nanoemulsion exhibited a promising prophylactic effect on acute toxoplasmosis, and decreased parasite burden. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the peritoneal exudates showed deformed tachyzoites in both prophylactic and treated subgroups. Objective: The present study is designed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of CUR nanoemulsion compared to that of Spiramycin on T. gondii type II, ME49 strain causing chronic toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice. Material and Methods: This case-control experimental study included 30 Swiss albino mice, divided into three equal groups. All mice were infected with avirulent ME49 strain to induce chronic toxoplasmosis. The study included group I (infected non-treated), II (infected treated with CUR nanoemulsion), and III (infected and treated with Spiramycin). The assessment parameters included estimation of the mortality rate, and parasite burden (cyst number and size) in livers and spleens impression smears, and in brains homogenates. Results:The mortality rate was 40% in the infected non-treated group with no mortality in all treated mice. There was a significant decrease of cyst number and size in livers, spleens, and brains of both treated groups as compared to the infected non-treated mice. Conclusion: It was concluded that CUR nanoemulsion had a promising therapeutic effect on chronic toxoplasmosis.

Purpose The relationship between the genetic diversity of Blastocystis and immune surveillance in precancerous colons with blastocystosis is still under investigation. This study aimed to identify the genetic Blastocystis variants among 54 symptomatic human isolates and their relationship to mucosal immune surveillance in the precancerous polyps of experimentally infected rats. Methods Polymerase chain reaction and high-resolution melting (PCR/HRM) curves discriminated human symptomatic Blastocystis isolates into subtypes (STs)/intrasubtypes, which were orally administered to rats to induce experimental infection. Then, the mucosal immune responses of the infected colons were evaluated in relation to polyp formation through immunostaining to identify mucus MUC2 and determine mucosal immune cell (goblet, lymphocyte and mast) counts, secretory IgA levels and parasitic intestinal invasion. Results ST1, ST3, and ST4 were found in 18.5% (10/54), 54.7% (29/54), and 27.8% (15/54) of the samples, respectively. Then, the HRM curve discriminated ST3 into the wild, mutant, and heterozygous [17/54 (31.5%), 5/54 (9.3%), and 7/54 (12.9%)] intrasubtypes. ST1 and ST4 had no genetic variations. Precancerous polyps were detected in the colons of 40.5% of the infected rats. ST1 constituted 14.7% of these cases, while the wild, mutant, and heterozygous intrasubtypes of ST3 showed polyps in 12.9%, 5.5%, and 5.5% of cases, respectively. Only 1.9% of the polyps were related to ST4. MUC2 showed weak immunostaining in 44.5% of the infected colons, and 38.9% were polyp inducers. Low goblet cell numbers and high interepithelial lymphocyte counts were significantly associated with polyp formation, particularly with ST1 and wild ST3. Among the polyp inducers, high numbers of mast cells were detected in wild ST3 and ST4, while a low number was found with heterozygous ST3. The level of secretory IgA was low in polyp-inducing STs. Most of the results were statistically significant. Conclusion Immunosurveillance showed a potential relationship between ST1 and the ST3 intrasubtypes and precancerous polyps. This relationship may provide insight into the prevention and/or development of new immunotherapeutic strategies to combat colorectal cancer.

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