Microbiology
Behnaz Jalalizadegan; Fatemeh Ghaffarifar; Soudabeh Fallah; Taher Elmi; Mohammad Javad Namazi; Fatemeh Vafa Shoar; Fatemeh Tabatabaee
Volume 26, Issue 4 , November and December 2019, , Pages 515-525
Abstract
Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an obligatory intracellular parasite causes toxoplasmosis. The parasite has two forms, noninvasive bradizoites and invasive tachizoites. The present study, for the first time, aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamins C and E on nitric oxide (NO) elevation to promote killing ...
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Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an obligatory intracellular parasite causes toxoplasmosis. The parasite has two forms, noninvasive bradizoites and invasive tachizoites. The present study, for the first time, aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamins C and E on nitric oxide (NO) elevation to promote killing invasive tachizoites by macrophages in susceptible BALB/c mice.Materials and Methods: Seventy BALB/c mice were recruited and randomly divided into fourteen groups of five (n=5). Control groups: one group left intact. Two groups were given saline or methanol. Two groups were infected with 104 or 5×104 parasites. The other groups were administrated only vitamin C, E, or both. The rest of sample and control groups were infected with either 104 or 5×104 tachizoites and supplemented with 100 µl vitamin E every other day, or 200 µl of vitamin C daily. Vitamins were intraperitoneally administered up to five days. On sixth day mice were intraperitoneally infected with tachyzoites. The blood samples were taken three days post infection, serum collected and stored at - 20 Cº until examinations. The peritoneal macrophages were isolated for counting phagocytised tachyzoites and nitric oxide assays.Results: Tachyzoites were significantly decreased after vitamin C & E administration in the infected mice compared to the controls. In mice supplemented vitamins NO levels were significantly higher compared to controls. Conclusion: Our findings showed that administration of vitamin C, E or both significantly enhanced killing invasive parasites through NO elevation produced by activated macrophages and may have therefore, complementary therapeutic effects.
Physiology & Pharmacology
Raha Zalkhani; Ahmad Ali Moazedi; Hossein Najafzadeh-varzi
Volume 26, Issue 2 , July and August 2019, , Pages 195-201
Abstract
Background: Vitamins play an important role in the improvement of neurological diseases by reducing free radicals, therefore, in this study, the effect of combine therapy sodium valproate with vitamin C and E was evaluated on seizure in adult rat. Material and methods: 49 rats were divided to 7 groups ...
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Background: Vitamins play an important role in the improvement of neurological diseases by reducing free radicals, therefore, in this study, the effect of combine therapy sodium valproate with vitamin C and E was evaluated on seizure in adult rat. Material and methods: 49 rats were divided to 7 groups consisting of control group (saline: 1ml/kg (, sodium valproate groups (100 or 200 mg/kg sodium valproate), Vitamin C group (250 mg/kg), vitamin E group (100 mg/kg) and vitamin C or vitamin E with sodium valproate groups. The animals received a subcutaneous injection of strychnine for induction of convulsive seizures, 30 minutes after intraperitoneal administration of drugs or saline. Then convulsion onset time and death time and survival rate were recorded.Results: Sodium valproate with doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg delayed the convulsion onset time and death time significantly compared to the control group and the survival rate was 36% and 100% respectively. The combination of sodium valproate and vitamin C significantly increased the time to start seizure and death time than the control group. Also the survival rate was 57%. The combination of sodium valproate and vitamin E increased the onset of seizure and the duration of death compared to the control group and 66% of the rats survived. Conclusion: The use of vitamin C and E with sodium valproate has a significant role in reducing seizure induced by strychnine in adult rat.