Fatma Hamed Shalan
Menofia University, Egypt
Title: Mesenchymal stem cell as a cure for brain damage induced by chronic Toxocara canis infection in an experimental mouse model
Biography
Biography: Fatma Hamed Shalan
Abstract
Neurotoxocariasis is a serious condition linked to the reduced cognitive function in children and some neurodegenerative diseases. Unfortunately, the available drugs for its treatment are with variable results. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used in experimental and clinical trials and it gave promising therapeutic results. Therefore, this study was designed using forty T. canis-infected albino mice (1000 eggs/mouse, orally) and a control group (GI) of ten healthy mice. The infected groups were GII: infected non-treated (control group), GIII: albendazole-treated (100 mg/kg/d once orally for 5 successive days), GIV: MSCs-treated (3 x 106 MSCs in 0.1 mL of PBS via the tail vein) and GV: albendazole + MSCs-treated. Treatment was commenced 6 weeks p.i. and the experiment was terminated four weeks after treatment. The brain tissue of each mouse was subjected for histopathological, immunohistochemical studies (caspase-3, TGF-β), detection or T. canis DNA by real-time PCR and gene expression the biomarkers of brain damage (S100B, GFAP) by RT-PCR. Moreover, homing of iron oxide-labelled MSCs in brain tissues was assessed by Prussian blue stain. The brain tissues of GII showed numerous T. canis larvae, significant congestion, thickening of arterioles, inflammatory infiltrate and gliosis associated with marked immunohistochemical expression of TGF-β and caspase-3 as well as marked S100B and GFAP gene expression. Significant improvements of the previous parameters and T. canis DNA were recorded in all the treated groups. However, the best results were obtained with combined albendazole + MSCs therapy. Thus, MSCs could be considered in the treatment of chronic neurotoxocariasis.