FarahatAllam Amal, Shehab Amel Youssef, Fawzy Hussein Mogahed Nerrmine Mogahed, Farag Hoda Fahmy, Elsayed Yasmen, Abd El-Latif Naglaa Fathi
Department of Parasitology, Medical Research Institute, University of Alexandria, 165 El Horreya avenue, El Hadara, Alexandria, Egypt.
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, 165El Horreya avenue, Alexandria, Egypt.
Heliyon. 2020 Apr 16;6(4):e03661. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03661. eCollection 2020 Apr.
Successful treatment of infection is difficult to attain. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP), as the reference drug, nitazoxanide (NTZ), spiramycin (SP) and SP-metronidazole against the virulent RH strain in acute experimental toxoplasmosis. One hundred Swiss albino mice were divided into control and experimental groups. Each mouse was infected with 2500 tachyzoites. Twenty infected untreated mice were used as control. The experimental group was subdivided into four subgroups (20 mice each); IIa SMZ-TMP, IIb NTZ, IIc SP and IId SP-metronidazole. All drugs were in tablet form, and were administered orally in suspension, for a period of seven days. Assessment of each drug efficacy was achieved through the study of mice survival time, mortality rate, parasite load, viability and morphological studies of tachyzoites by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The obtained results showed that SMZ-TMP, SP and SP-metronidazole were effective against acute murine toxoplasmosis and caused deformities in the tachyzoites ultrastructure. SP-metronidazole gave the best results on both mice survival rate and parasite load in the brain and liver. SMZ-TMP induced formation of prominent filaments extending from the deformed tachyzoites. NTZ showed little effect. In conclusion, all used drugs succeeded to prolong the survival time of the mice. SP-metronidazole gave the foremost effect on both mice survival rate and parasite load in the liver, spleen and brain. As this combination is nontoxic to human, it is promising for the treatment of human toxoplasmosis.
感染的成功治疗很难实现。本研究旨在评估作为参考药物的磺胺甲恶唑-甲氧苄啶（SMZ-TMP）、硝唑尼特（NTZ）、螺旋霉素（SP）以及螺旋霉素-甲硝唑对急性实验性弓形虫病中强毒株RH的疗效。100只瑞士白化小鼠被分为对照组和实验组。每只小鼠感染2500个速殖子。20只感染但未治疗的小鼠用作对照。实验组再细分为四个亚组（每组20只小鼠）；IIa组用SMZ-TMP，IIb组用NTZ，IIc组用SP，IId组用螺旋霉素-甲硝唑。所有药物均为片剂，以悬浮液形式口服给药，为期7天。通过研究小鼠存活时间、死亡率、寄生虫负荷、速殖子活力以及利用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）对速殖子进行形态学研究来评估每种药物的疗效。所得结果表明，SMZ-TMP、SP和螺旋霉素-甲硝唑对急性鼠弓形虫病有效，并导致速殖子超微结构出现畸形。螺旋霉素-甲硝唑在小鼠存活率以及脑和肝中的寄生虫负荷方面效果最佳。SMZ-TMP诱导变形的速殖子形成突出的细丝。NTZ显示效果甚微。总之，所有使用的药物都成功延长了小鼠的存活时间。螺旋霉素-甲硝唑在小鼠存活率以及肝、脾和脑中的寄生虫负荷方面效果最为显著。由于这种组合对人体无毒，因此有望用于治疗人类弓形虫病。
