Assessment of radiation-attenuated vaccine or thyme oil treatment on controlling DNA damage and nitric oxide synthesis in brain of rat infected with Toxocara canis

Abstract EN

Toxocara canis is a worldwide zoonotic roundworm that infects a number of hosts including humans.

It exhibits marked affinity to the nervous tissues.

This study deals with the changes in the brain of Toxocara canis infected rats regarding parasitological, nitric oxide (NO) level and DNA damage compared to the effect of vaccination with gamma radiation-attenuated embryonated egg or thyme oil treatment.

Eighty rats were classified into four groups (twenty each): GI (normal control); GII infected with 2500 T.

canis infective eggs/ml/rat (infected control); GIII vaccinated with 800Gy gamma-attenuated embryonated eggs (vaccinated group) and GIV infected with 2500 T.

canis eggs and treated with thyme oil (thyme treated group).

At the 14th day post-infection, ten rats from each group were sacrificed and the remaining were re-infected (challenged) with the same number of eggs.

At the 14th days post challenge, brain tissues were taken for larval recovery, nitric oxide level evaluation and DNA damage using fragmentation and comet assay.

The results exhibited a significant decrease in larval count and nitric oxide level with less damage in brain cells in thyme treated and gamma radiation-attenuated vaccinated groups compared to control infected group.

It is also, concluded that vaccination using γ- rays is more effective in protection compared to using thyme oil.