THE EFFICACY OF THREE MEDICINAL PLANTS: GARLIC, GINGER AND MIRAZID AND A CHEMICAL DRUG METRONIDAZOLE AGAINST CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM. I- IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSE

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.

2 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt.

Abstract

Cryptosporidisis parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infects intestinal epithelial cells causing a major health problem for man and animals. Experimentally the immunologic mediated elimination of C. parvum requires CD4+ T cells and IFN-γ. But, the innate immune responses also have a significant protective role in both man and animals. the mucosal immune
response to C. parvum in C57BL/6 neonatal and GKO mice shows a concomitant Th1 and Th2 cytokine mRNA expression, with a crucial role for IFN-γ in the resolution of the infection. NK cells and IFN-γ have been shown to be important components in immunity in T and B cell-deficient mice, but IFN-γ-dependent resistance is demonstrated in alymphocytic mice. Epithelial cells may play a vital role in immunity as once infected these cells have increased expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines and demonstrate anti-infection killing mechanisms. C. parvum immunological response was used to evaluate the efficacy of anti-cryptosporidisis agents of Garlic, Ginger, Mirazid and Metronidazole in experimentally infected mice.

Keywords