Rasmussen K R, Healey M C
Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan 84322-5600.
J Parasitol. 1992 Jun;78(3):554-7.
Cryptosporidiosis, a parasitic disorder caused by Cryptosporidium parvum, is frequently a fulminating and life-threatening disease in immunocompromised hosts. The immune status of the host plays a critical role in determining the length and severity of the disease. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an immunomodulator that has been demonstrated to upregulate immune parameters. Ten aged (20-24 mo) Syrian golden hamsters were treated with DHEA for 7 days prior to intragastric inoculation with 1 x 10(6) C. parvum oocysts. An additional 10 aged hamsters were infected similarly but retained as untreated controls. The untreated hamsters presented with generalized infections as determined by oocyst shedding in the feces and parasite colonization of the small intestine. Hamsters treated with DHEA exhibited a significant reduction in cryptosporidial infection when compared to untreated hamsters. These results suggest that DHEA may be an effective prophylactic agent for cryptosporidiosis in immunocompromised patients.
隐孢子虫病是一种由微小隐孢子虫引起的寄生虫病，在免疫功能低下的宿主中通常是一种暴发性且危及生命的疾病。宿主的免疫状态在决定疾病的病程和严重程度方面起着关键作用。脱氢表雄酮（DHEA）是一种免疫调节剂，已被证明可上调免疫参数。十只老龄（20 - 24个月）叙利亚金仓鼠在经口接种1×10⁶个微小隐孢子虫卵囊前7天用DHEA治疗。另外十只老龄仓鼠同样被感染，但作为未治疗的对照。通过粪便中卵囊排出和小肠寄生虫定植确定，未治疗的仓鼠出现全身感染。与未治疗的仓鼠相比，用DHEA治疗的仓鼠隐孢子虫感染显著减少。这些结果表明，DHEA可能是免疫功能低下患者隐孢子虫病的一种有效预防剂。
