The efficacy of three medicinal plants: garlic, ginger and mirazid and a chemical drug metronidazole against Cryptosporidium parvum. I-immunological response

Abstract EN

Cryptosporidisis parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infects intestinal epithelial cells causing a major health problem for man and animals.

Experimentally the immunologic mediated elimination of C.

parvum requires CD4+ T cells and IFN-γ.

But, the innate immune responses also have a significant protective role in both man and animals.

the mucosal immune response to C.

parvum in C57BL/6 neonatal and GKO mice shows a concomitant Th1 and Th2 cytokine mRNA expression, with a crucial role for IFN-γ in the resolution of the infection.

NK cells and IFN-γ have been shown to be important components in immunity in T and B cell-deficient mice, but IFN-γ-dependent resistance is demonstrated in alymphocytic mice.

Epithelial cells may play a vital role in immunity as once infected these cells have increased expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines and demonstrate anti-infection killing mechanisms.