Ivermectin with nitazoxanide eliminate cryptosporidium intestinal infection in immunocompromized mice and upregulate cytokeratin 20 expression, enhancing intestinal cellular healing

الملخص EN

Cryptosporidiosis is an extensively spread protozoan parasite, but its immense cellular threat is limited to those suffering from immune suppression which may encounter fatal complications.

this study assessed the nitazoxanide effect alone or combined with ivermectin on eradicating cryptosporidiosis and enhancing cellular healing in immunocompromized infected mice using cytokeratin 20 as an intestinal intermediate filament protein marker to reflect intestinal cellular integrity.

oocyst count in mice treated by nitazoxanide monotherapy was significantly higher (37 × 103 ± 7.3) than those treated with combined therapy (5×103 ± 4.1).

reduction rate was higher in mice treated with both therapy (95.7%) than mice treated with monotherapy (68.9%).

considerably high cytokeratin expression was recorded in mice treated with combined therapy (34.64±6.65), possibly indicated the intestinal mucosa recovery, while a relatively lower expression was in mice treated with nitazoxanide monotherapy (21.28 ± 9.41) (p < 0.05).