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PurposeRodents live in proximity to humans and domestic animals. These creatures can serve as reservoir hosts for many zoonotic parasites; therefore, they increase the risk of human infections. The aim of this study was to investigate Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in rodents caught in Meshgin-Shahr District, Iran.Patients and methodsIn a cross-sectional study, brain samples were collected from 70 rodents caught in Meshgin-Shahr District during March and December 2015. The specimens were examined for exposure to T. gondii and N. caninum with molecular methods.ResultsSeventy rodents were caught, including 50 Meriones persicus, 11 Mus musculus and 9 Cricetulus migratorius. Thirty rodents were female and 40 were males. Using PCR (B1 gene), T. gondii was detected in 7.1% (5/70) of the rodents while N. caninum was not detected. The prevalence of Toxoplasma infection was higher in female rodents (4.28%) compared to male rodents (2.86%), but the difference was not significant.ConclusionThe results showed a low risk of T. gondii and N. caninum among rodents. Finally, further research is needed to understand the role of these rodent species in the transmission of the above protozoan pathogens to humans and livestock in this area.

Background Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato  (s.l.). The treatment of CE mainly relies on the use of benzimidazoles, which can commonly cause adverse side effects. Therefore, more efficient treatment options are needed. Drug repurposing is a useful approach for advancing drug development. We have evaluated the in vitro protoscolicidal effects of tropisetron and granisetron in E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) and assessed the expression of the calcineurin (CaN) and calmodulin (CaM) genes, both of which have been linked to cellular signaling activities and thus are potentially promising targets for the development of drugs. Methods Protoscoleces (PSC) of E. granulosus (s.s.) (genotype G1) obtained from sheep hepatic hydatid cysts were exposed to tropisetron and granisetron at concentrations of 50, 150 and 250 µM for various periods of time up to 10 days. Cyclosporine A (CsA) and albendazole sulfoxide were used for comparison. Changes in the morphology of PSC were investigated by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Gene expression was assessed using real-time PCR at the mRNA level for E. granulosus calcineurin subunit A (Eg-CaN-A), calcineurin subunit B (Eg-CaN-B) and calmodulin (Eg-CaM) after a 24-h exposure at 50 and 250 µM, respectively. Results At 150 and 250 µM, tropisetron had the highest protoscolicidal effect, whereas CsA was most effective at 50 µM. Granisetron, however, was less effective than tropisetron at all three concentrations. Examination of morphological alterations revealed that the rate at which PSC were killed increased with increasing rate of PSC evagination, as observed in PSC exposed to tropisetron. Gene expression analysis revealed that tropisetron at 50 μM significantly upregulated Eg-CaN-B and Eg-CaM expression while at 250 μM it significantly downregulated both Eg-CaN-B and Eg-CaM expressions; in comparison, granisetron decreased the expression of all three genes at both concentrations. Conclusions Tropisetron exhibited a higher efficacy than granisetron against E. granulosus (s.s.) PSC, which is probably due to the different mechanisms of action of the two drugs. The concentration-dependent effect of tropisetron on calcineurin gene expression might reflect its dual functions, which should stimulate future research into its mechanism of action and evaluation of its potential therapeutical effect in the treatment of CE. Graphic Abstract