acetylspiramycin and Toxoplasmosis--Animal

To explore the effect of usnic acid on Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites in vitro.. There are four groups named as (+)-usnic acid group, acetylspiramycin group, DMSO group and normal saline group. Groups of (+)-usnic acid and acetylspiramycin were further divided into 4 subgroups with final concentration of 5, 10, 25, 50 microg/ml respectively. Normal saline group and DMSO group were respectively given equal volume normal saline and 1% DMSO. Each group have 15 parallel tubes with 1 ml (1 x 10(6)/ml) T. gondii tachyzoites aqueous suspension. At 1 h, 2h and 4 h after drug treatment, tachyzoites were counted by light microscope with 0.4% Trypan blue staining. Tachyzoites in aqueous suspension was collected, and washed 3 times by PBS solution. Normal mice were inoculated intraperitoneally and observed for three generations. The cultivated rat cardiofibroblasts were then infected in vitro with T. gondii tachyzoites. At the same time, rat cardiomyocytes invasion by T. gondii tachyzoites was investigated.. At 4 h treated by 10, 25 and 50 microg/ml (+)-usnic acid, 100% T. gondii tachyzoites were stained. Some tachyzoites were swelling, blunt or round in the two ends; and granules appeared in the cytoplasm, the nuclei were deep stained. The changes of tachyzoites in acetylspiramycin group were similar to (+)-usnic acid group, 100% T. gondii tachyzoites were stained in 50 microg/ml acetylspiramycin subgroup. In inoculation tests, mice died at 8th to 9th days in 5 microg/ml (+)-usnic acid subgroup and numerous tachyzoites were detected in ascites. However, most mice survived to be killed in the other (+)-usnic acid subgroups and the tachyzoites were not found in ascites. All mice in acetylespirmycin groups died at 6th to 8th days after inoculation and many tachyzoites or pseudocysts were observed in mice ascites. In infecting cell tests, the cultivated rat cardiofibroblasts were infected in vitro by the tachyzoites after treated with 5 microg/ml (+)-usnic acid for 4 h, and pseudocysts were formed in infected cells. It was negative in the other subgroups of (+)-usnic acid. But the cultivated rat cardiofibroblasts were infected to varying degree in acetylspiramycin groups, normal saline group and DMSO group.. (+)-Usnic acid has a remarkable effect on T. gondii tachyzoites.

Topics: Animals; Benzofurans; Cells, Cultured; In Vitro Techniques; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Rats; Spiramycin; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis, Animal

To study the activities of in vitro resistance to the tachyzoite of Toxoplasma gondii by murine lymphocytes.. The rat's splenocyte culture method was used to observe the effects of lymphocytes themselves and lymphocytes together with Mandelic( MA) on the invasion and proliferation of T. gondii in lymphocytes. At the same time acetylspiramycin was used as positive control.. As compared with other somatic cells, the lymphocytes invaded by T. gondii still inhibited and killed the toxoplasma organisms in the presence of immunity, the effect safety dose of MA on inhibition of the invasion of T. gondii was not notable while the inhibition of the proliferation of T. gondii in lymphocytes was remarkable.. Cell-mediated immunity(CMI) was an important factor that host resists the T. gondii infection. So, we should pay attention to improving the organism's CMI and take proper medicine so as to enhance the effect of lymphocyte's resistance to T. gondii.

Topics: Animals; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Lymphocytes; Mandelic Acids; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Rats; Spiramycin; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis, Animal

Normal mice acutely and chronically infected with the S-273 strain of T. gondii, were treated with acetylspiramycin (ASPM) alone, 8 mg/mouse/day, per os, or in combination with an immunopotentiator (CSP-II), 10 mg/mouse/day, intraperitoneally, or sulfamethopyrazine (SMPZ), 2 mg/mouse/day, per os, for a period of 4 weeks. In the acute cases, a 99.4% cyst reduction was obtained with ASPM alone and no cysts were seen in the brains of mice treated with ASPM in combination with CSP-II or SMPZ. The organisms were significantly eradicated in the brain and heart tissues of mice treated with ASPM alone or in combination with CSP-II or SMPZ as shown by subinoculation to normal mice and the negative latex hemagglutination titers of the recipient mice. In the chronic cases, a cyst reduction of 52.4% was obtained with mice treated with ASPM in combination with CSP-II. A cyst reduction of 34.6%, 32.9% and 20.8% was obtained in the ASPM alone, CSP-II alone and ASPM in combination with SMPZ treated groups, respectively. A comparative clearing of the organisms in the heart tissues of mice treated with ASPM in combination with CSP-II was obtained compared to the other treatment groups but not in the brains of all groups.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Brain; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Heart; Leucomycins; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Spiramycin; Sulfamethoxypyridazine; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis, Animal

A total of 329 human serum samples were collected from the clinics of internal medicine of Obihiro city and its suburbs and were screened for Toxoplasma antibody level using the latex agglutination microtiter method (LA). Ninety-one (27.7%) were positive, 4 (1.2%) were equivocal and 234 (71.1%) were negative. Positive reactants were highest in the age group of 55-74 years old. A relatively high percentage on positive reactants was observed in patients with accompanying cardiac and cerebral disorders, i.e., 33.3% and 35.6%, respectively. ICR-JCL mice were infected with 10(2) tachyzoites of the S-273 strain of T. gondii intraperitoneally. Chronic cases were obtained from those mice which survived the first infection without any further challenge 1 month later. Therapy was carried out by administering acetylspiramycin or spiramycin per os at a dose of 8 mg/0.5 ml per mouse per day for 30 days. After the end of therapy, brain and heart emulsions were made, and passaged to clean mice and observed for 30 days. Antibody titers were also monitored during the course of treatment using the LA microtiter method. In the acute cases, antibody titers were observed to gradually increase from the end of treatment up to 10 weeks. Antibody titers of the chronic cases were maintained at high levels before the start of treatment and up to its termination. Most of the mice subinoculated with brain emulsions obtained from the acute cases, both in the control and treatment groups, died. However, all of the mice subinoculated with heart emulsions from both treatment groups, survived. In the chronic cases, all mice subinoculated with brain emulsions from all groups died. A few survived the heart passages from both treatment groups, however, they showed very high reactions to the LA microtiter method.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Animals; Antibodies; Brain; Female; Heart; Humans; Leucomycins; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Middle Aged; Spiramycin; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis, Animal