Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease. The present work aimed to evaluate the regulatory immune effect of curcumin in hepatic cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) injections in experimental rats’ model. Chronic liver fibrosis was induced in experiment animals by recurrent injections of CCl4 for more than 5 weeks. They were divided into five groups: first group was injected with normal saline, second group with CCl4, third, fourth, and fifth groups were injected with CCl4 (intraperitoneal injection) at dose 3 ml/kg, two times weekly for 6 weeks supplemented with the administration of curcumin with concentrations 250, 200, and 150 mg/kg. Immune response was analyzed to different treatments. Interleukin 10 (IL‐10), pro‐inflammatory cytokines TNF‐α, TGF‐1β, and liver histopathological examinations were conducted. The results showed that estimations of IL‐10 concentrations were significantly increased in curcumin groups compared with CCl4 group, whereas TNF‐α and TGF‐1β levels were significantly decreased comparing with CCl4 group. The histopathological examinations for liver tissues showed that curcumin treated groups have almost retained the normal structure of liver tissues. In conclusion, curcumin inhibited hepatic fibrosis and liver fibrogenesis with regulation of the immune system mechanism against invader chemical toxicity. Practical applications Curcumin is well documented for its medicinal properties, commonly used as a spice. Our work has thus demonstrated its effectiveness as an immunomodulatory agent. Practically, clinical studies have suggested that curcumin displays a diverse and powerful array of pharmacological effects in nearly all of the human body's major organ systems. These are: antidiabetes, anti‐inflammatory, anticancer, antiaging, antioxidant, antibacterial infection, hepatoprotective, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular effects.
The current study evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of Carica papaya pulp and seeds methanol (MeOH) extracts on mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis identified 10 active constituents in C. papaya seed MeOH extract and 10 compounds in C. papaya pulp MeOH extract. The experimental animals were divided into negative control (G1) group, positive control (G2) group, pulp extract treated (G3) group, and seed extract treated (G4) group. After infection of animals (G2, G3, and G4), treatments were started for 3 weeks. Estimation of the immunological parameters showed a marked decrease in IgM levels and an increase in IgG levels in the treated groups (G3 and G4) compared with those in G2. The proinflammatory cytokines (IL‐10, IL‐12, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TGF‐β1) were decreased in the treated groups (G3 and G4) compared with those in G2. Nitric oxide levels were also decreased, and the percentages of phagocytosis increased compared with those of G2. The results demonstrated the immunomodulatory and anti‐inflammatory effects of C. papaya pulp and seeds MeOH extracts. Practical applications Based on the antioxidant and antibacterial activities exhibited by the pulp and seed MeOH extracts investigated in this study, Carica papaya might be considered as a natural source of phytochemicals that could be utilized in novel foods and pharmaceuticals. Further investigation are needed to identify and purify compounds that might be responsible for the observed effects.
The study aimed to evaluate the impact of C. schoenanthus essential oil (CSEO) on the immune system, antioxidant balance, and histological changes in the kidney and spleen of female BALB/C mice. The chemical composition of CSEO was analyzed using GC-MS. Twenty-nine compounds were identified, representing 99.04% of the total detected. The main components were Piperitone (47.93%), Elemol (11.91%), 2-Carene (10.69%), β-eudesmol (7.67%), α-eudesmol (5.12%), and γ-eudesmol (4.24%). The mice were divided into three groups: control, 0.5% CSEO, and 1% CSEO. The effects of CSEO on various markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), urea, creatinine, and cytokines (IL-4, TNF-α, and TGF-β1), were evaluated. Additionally, kidney and spleen histopathological examinations were conducted. The treatment groups showed a significant increase in IL-4, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 levels compared to the control group, except for G1, which showed a non-significant decrease in TGF-β1 levels. Group 2 exhibited a significant increase in MDA levels compared to the control group, while group 1 had a nonsignificant increase. Both treatments showed a significant increase in GSH levels, while SOD and CAT levels showed a non-significant increase in group 2 and a non-significant decrease in group 1. Urea levels showed a non-significant increase, while creatinine levels were significantly decreased in G2 and non-significantly decreased in G1 compared to the control group. The histopathological examinations revealed congested red pulp with activated hematopoiesis and focal fibrosis in spleen sections of both G1 and G2. The study suggests that medicinal herbs such as CSEO need to be used with caution, and their effects should be evaluated carefully, especially in terms of dose-dependent effects. The results indicate that high doses of CSEO may increase the levels of some cytokines and antioxidants and have harmful effects on kidney architecture, congested red pulp, and fibrosis with increased hematopoiesis. Therefore, the random use of medicinal herbs may have harmful effects and needs to be carefully controlled to ensure safe use.
Giardia lamblia is the etiological mediator of giardiasis, one of the most widespread gastrointestinal illnesses all over the world. 1 This parasitic infection seems to be the primary cause of non-viral or bacterial diarrhoea in humans and other vertebrates. 2 Giardiasis causes a wide range of medical symptoms including continuous diarrhoea along with abdominal pain and nausea, or no symptoms at all. Although re-infection and chronic infection are possible, most infections are self-limiting. 3 Giardia usually has a simple life cycle consisting of two separate phases of structural and biochemical developments: trophozoite (vegetative form), which colonizes the host intestine, and cyst (infective form), which is resistant in different environmental conditions. 4 Infection occurs when a host directly ingests feasible cysts or polluted water and food (the infective dose for a symptomatic contagion is about 10-100 cysts). 5 In giardiasis, severe pathophysiology occurs without trophozoites invading the small intestinal tissues. 6 The protozoan's direct and indirect pathogenic actions cause harm to the absorptive mucosa, resulting in enterocyte apoptosis and accelerated cell turnover, shortened villus,
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