Background: Uncovering the roles and characteristics of pathogenesis-related molecules can help us develop novel management methods in parasitology. In this study, we studied the expression levels of heat shock protein70 (HSP70) () and astacin () as pathogenesis-related genes as well as the expression of HSP70 and HSP17.1 (, ) in the larvae and adult stages of .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReportedly, synthetic drugs such as metronidazole, furazolidone, tinidazole, and quinacrine are used for the treatment of giardiasis but are associated with adverse effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo effects of eucalyptol (ECT, 1,8 cineole) alone and in combination with metronidazole (MNZ) on Giardia lamblia. The effects of ECT on cell viability, plasma membrane permeability, and gene expression levels of adenylate cyclase (AK) and extracellular signal kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1 and ERK2) in trophozoites of G.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHydatid cysts occur in the larval stage of worms in vital organs such as the liver, lung, brain, kidney, heart and spleen. As a result, the formation of these cysts in humans and animals is considered one of the most catastrophic common infections in humans and animals. So far, there is no definitive effective treatment strategy for this disease in humans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) that causes high morbidity in the tropics and sub-tropics. Despite the remarkable advancements in the treatment of CL, the available therapeutics are far from ideal and also cause serious adverse side effects. Negative air ions (NAIs) generators are widely available for domestic and industrial uses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Leishmania (L) parasite, the causative agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL), effectively stimulates the mammalian cells to mount strong humoral responses by enhancing T-helper-2 (Th2)-associated cytokines for its survival. The best strategy to decrease the intensity of infection in the host is induction of cellular immunity.
Methods: We evaluated the effects of the empty bacterial pcDNA3 plasmid on mice infected with L.
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of methanolic extract of P. longum (PLM) against protoscolices of hydatid cyst in vitro. Four different concentrations of PLM extract (25, 50, 100 and 150 mg/ml) were used for the experiments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The preferred treatment for management of toxoplasmosis is the combined use of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine. However, there are a wide number of adverse side effects with these medications. Recent research has focused on the use of chitosan for the treatment of infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Toxoplasma gondii is the global protozoa that could cause contamination in warm-blooded animals and is considered among the opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients. Among the people at risk, toxoplasmosis infection can lead to the incidence of severe clinical manifestations, encephalitis, chorioretinitis, and even death.
Purpose: The present research is focused on the new research for the treatment of toxoplasmosis parasitic disease using medicinal herbs.
Parvalbumins are the most important fish allergens, which are heat-stable, classified in the family of calcium-binding EF-hand proteins, and contain one magnesium binding site. The functional connection between calcium and parvalbumin gives fish the high-speed swimming ability because of high concentration of Ca-binding parvalbumin in fish white muscles. Although parvalbumins are widely studied and conceivably play crucial roles in the physiology and swimming pattern of fishes, still no report is available about their presence in microbes, such as pathogenic fungal species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfect Disord Drug Targets
September 2021
Satureja khuzestanica Jamzad is a species native to Iran and is highly important in Southwestern regions. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family and grows in different climates. A number of pharmacological properties such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-thyroid, antioxidant, and diuretic have been attributed to this plant.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParvalbumins play crucial physiological roles in neuromuscular systems of vertebrates, such as cell-cycle, development of neurons, contraction of muscles, and regulation of intracellular calcium. To perform these neuromuscular functions, parvalbumin may be in associated with other proteins including calbindin, carbonic anhydrase, and cytochrome oxidase. Humans may show an IgE-specific hypersensitivity to parvalbumins after consumption of some distinct fish species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurcumin is one of the important natural compounds that is extracted from turmeric. This compound and its derivatives have numerous biological properties, including antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and healing effects. Extensive research in various fields has been conducted on turmeric as it is widely used as a food additive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDue to the increasing resistance of various species to azole drugs, particularly fluconazole, it would be of significant importance to look for alternative therapies. The aim of this study was to investigate the antifungal activity of capric acid and its interactions with nystatin and fluconazole against isolates. A total of 40 isolates (, 36; , 2; , 1; , 1) collected from the oral cavity of neonates with oropharyngeal candidiasis and a reference strain of (ATCC 10231) were used in this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe tenacious human parasitic helminth Strongyloides stercoralis is a significant health problem worldwide. The current lack of a definitive diagnostic laboratory test to rule out this infection necessitates designing more specific diagnostic methods. Fatty acid and retinol-binding protein (FAR) plays a crucial role in the development and reproduction of nematodes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe mitochondrion of kinetoplastida has unique characteristics both in structure and function. To better understand the mitochondrial proteome of the Leishmania tropica promastigote stage, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) approach was used. In the wake of mitochondria isolation and purity validation, 1212 proteins were identified, among which approximately 44% of proteins belonged to the mitochondrial proteome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Strongyloides stercoralis is the fourth most important intestinal nematode worldwide. The parasite load and larvae count are often low, thus conventional methods are not sufficiently sensitive to detect the infection. In this study we developed an immunoglobulin G-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method to detect antibodies against S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis is the first study aiming to determine the therapeutic effects of the Sambucus ebulus aquatic extract as an antileishmanial herbal drug and evaluate the immune responses in Leishmania major major infected BALB/c mice. The antileishmanial activity of S ebulus aquatic extract was evaluated using MTT test as well as parasite rescue and transformation assay. Footpad swelling and parasite load of infected mice were measured by several techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNo effective human vaccine against Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) has yet been developed; however, a protective vaccine using immunogenic peptides in a safe delivery vehicle system offers promise. Here, we employed bioinformatics to design a multimeric recombinant T.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The fatal form of leishmaniasis is visceral form (VL), found in some of the countries in the world. Visceral leishmaniasis has been reported sporadically from all provinces in Iran, including Lorestan. This study aimed to characterize parasite species in DAT positive and some of the DAT negative human blood samples of Delfan district, Lorestan Province, central Iran.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLaboratory diagnosis of sheep fasciolosis is commonly performed by coprological examinations; however, this method may lead to false negative results during the acute phase of the infection. Furthermore, the poor sensitivity of coprological methods is considered to be a paradox in the chronic phase of the infection. In this study, we compared the immunoreactivity of native and recombinant forms of Fasciola hepatica excretory/secretory antigens and determined their capabilities for the development of F.
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