Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that affects millions of people in 78 countries globally. Children under the age of 14, who have the chronic disease may suffer from anemia and malnutrition that contribute to lost days at school and pervasive learning disabilities. The infection is prevalent in Kenya, especially in endemic areas, contributing to significant morbidity. The cellular response pattern is associated with both the acute and chronic phases of the disease, in which cytokines play a critical role. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytokine profiles of IL-4, IL-2, IL-10, IL-5, IFN-γ, and TNF in serum samples of infected school-aged children by using flow cytometry before and after treatment. The analysis indicated a shift in the expression of the cytokines after treatment with all the cytokines being downregulated, except TNF. There was a general trend of decrease in the expression of the cytokines at six and twelve weeks after treatment as compared to the pretreatment levels. There were statistically significant differences in the expression in IL-2 ( P = 0.001 ∗ ∗ ), IL-4 ( P = 0.033 ∗ ), IL-10 ( P = 0.001 ∗ ∗ ∗ ), IFN-γ ( P = 0.023 ∗ ), and IL-5 ( P = 0.0001 ∗ ∗ ∗ ), except in TNF ( P = 0.095 ). The reduction in the cytokine levels can be directly related to the influence of the drug praziquantel, modulating the cytokine response by elimination of adult worms, decline in parasitic load, and reduction of morbidity. Therefore, cytokine response is directly related with the influence of treatment in the variation of the immune response.
Introduction: Frontal lobe Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by brief, recurrent seizures which arise from the frontal lobes of the brain. Bryophyllum pinnatum, is a natural herb which has been known for its anticonvulsant potential in experimental animals. The ketogenic diet is a form of treatment for epilepsy in children created due to the observation that fasting had anti-seizure properties. This comparative study investigated the potential ameliorative use of Bryophyllum pinnatum, Ketogenic diet and Carbamazepine, on the frontal lobe cortex in kainic acid induced epilepsy wistar rat models. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight (n=28) adult male Wistar rats with an average weight of 150g were randomly distributed into five groups labelled A, B, C, D & E. Group A served as control; group B was treated with kainic acid only, group C was treated with Kainic acid + Bryophyllum pinnatum, group D was treated with Kainic acid + ketogenic diet and group E was treated with Kainic acid + carbamazepine. Rats were sacrificed after 29 days treatment period and their brains excised. The precentral cortices were cut and phosphate buffer preserved for enzymes and hormonal assay and the rest brain samples were stored in formal saline for histological demonstrations. Neurobehavioral studies which included Elevated Plus Maze and Barnes Maze tests were carried out before the rats were sacrificed. Results: Kainic acid caused extensive damage to cortical structures. Bryophyllum pinnatum stimulated regeneration of damaged cells and restoration of myelination and cellular integrity. Discussion: Although, there was extensive damage done by kainic acid to the cortical structures in group B, group C, group D and group E, Bryophyllum pinnatum stimulated the restoration of neurotransmission and massive production of astrocytes which aided in neuronal regeneration.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.