Assessment of the prophylactic and therapeutic effects of curcumin nanoemulsion in comparison with Spiramycin in mice simulating acute infection with T. gondii (RH strain)

Abstract

Background: Currently, there is no effective adjunct to therapeutic drugs against acute toxoplasmosis. Curcumin (CUR) is one of the most promising naturally occurring agents with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-carcinogenic activity. It is hypothesized that improvement of CUR properties utilizing nanotechnology may be beneficial in enhancing its therapeutic effects. Objective: To evaluate the prophylactic immunostimulatory and therapeutic effects of CUR nanoemulsion in acute toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice. Material and Methods: A case-control experimental study was conducted including 45 Albino mice. Mice were divided into a control negative uninfected group I (5 mice) and experimental group II (40 mice) infected with the virulent RH strain to simulate acute toxoplasmosis. Group II was subdivided into four subgroups (10 mice each); IIa (control positive, infected non-treated), IIb (infected and prophylactically pre-treated with CUR nanoemulsion), IIc (post-infection treated with CUR nanoemulsion), and IId (postinfection treated with Spiramycin). The assessment parameters included estimation of the mortality rate, and parasite burden in impression smears from peritoneal fluids, livers, and spleens. Alterations in the tachyzoites morphological features among study groups were recorded using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: The mortality rate was relatively high (40%) by the 6 th day in the infected non-treated subgroup (IIa); with no mortality recorded in all treated experimental subgroups. The prophylactic CUR nanoemulsion pre-treated subgroup (IIb) had the highest percentage of tachyzoites reduction in the peritoneal fluids (78.13%), and in the livers and spleens impression smears (both 88.89%). In the two treated subgroups (IIc and IId), the recorded reduction percentages were 71.88%, 75%, respectively for peritoneal fluids; 81.48% for livers in both subgroups; and 85.42%, 84.73%, respectively for spleen impression smears. Examination of the peritoneal exudates using SEM showed deformed tachyzoites in all the treated subgroups. Conclusion:Our results indicate that CUR nanoemulsion is as effective as Spiramycin and has a promising medicinal effect on acute toxoplasmosis. Therefore, it may be used as an adjuvant to specific treatment with Spiramycin.

The superior efficacy of chloroquine over buparvaquone in reducing the chronic cerebral Toxoplasma gondii cysts load and improving the ultrastructural pathology in an immunocompromised murine model

“…While both spiramycin and BPQ treatments couldn't reduce the deaths significantly. In this study, the infected non-treated group showed a MR of 41.6% which is in agreement with Rageh et al (2022) who reported a 40% mortality rate in the infected non-treated group. However, they reported no deaths in the group treated with spiramycin which may be explained by infecting the mice orally with only 20 cysts of the ME49 strain compared to 100 cysts of the same strain used in our study, and the euthanasia day of mice was on the 9 th week compared to the 70 th day of our experiment.…”

“…All treatment regimens used in the present study reduced the number of T. gondii cysts in comparison to the infected non-treated group. Similarly, Grujić et al (2005) and Rageh et al (2022) reported a significant reduction of ME49 brain cyst burden after treatment with spiramycin compared to the control group. Likewise, Gamea et al (2022) reported a highly significant reduction of RH strain tachyzoites numbers in peritoneal fluid and liver smears after CQ treatment.…”

Synthesis, X-ray Structure, Hirshfeld, DFT Conformational, Cytotoxic, and Anti-Toxoplasma Studies of New Indole-Hydrazone Derivatives

“…Spiramycin was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, Germany. Preparation, dose, and methods of administration were as previously described [38].…”

The therapeutic efficacy of curcumin nanoemulsion versus Spiramycin in Toxoplasma gondii (ME49 strain) chronically infected mice

“…Drugs: Spiramycin and CUR were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, Germany. Preparation, dose and methods of administration were previously described [10] .…”

“…Pilot study: As previously described [10] , a pilot study was conducted to determine the least effective dose of CUR nanoemulsion, and a dose of 20 mg/kg/d was established as the lowest effective dose.…”