Stem cells as a potential therapeutic trend for experimental trichinosis

Abstract

Background: Trichinella spiralis causes trichinosis through ingestion of pork contaminated by its infectivelarvae, resulting in intestinal and muscular phases of infection in the same host. Stem cells (SCs) treatsome diseases due to their capacity for trans-differentiation and immunomodulation.Objective: To assess the therapeutic impact of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) during intestinal andmuscular stages in T. spiralis-experimentally infected mice; used alone as monotherapy or combined withmebendazole (MBZ).Material and Methods: Forty albino mice were used to obtain bone marrow MSCs. Another 100 albinomice were divided into 2 groups 50 mice each simulating intestinal (a) and muscular (b) phases. Eachgroup was further subdivided into 5 subgroups, 10 mice each as follows: G1a and G1b: negative noninfected control; G2a and G2b: positive infected control; G3a and G3b: infected and MBZ treated; G4aand G4b: infected and MSCs tested; and G5a and G5b: infected and combined MBZ and MSCs therapytested. Mice of intestinal phase were sacrificed on 7th day post-infection (PI) while mice of muscularphase were sacrificed on 49th day PI. Assessment was done by parasitological assessment (the number ofadult worms in the intestine in groups (a) and the number of encysted larvae in the diaphragm in groups(b); histopathological and histochemical assessment of all groups using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)and Feulgen stains of different mice tissues and ultrastructural assessment using transmission electronmicroscope (TEM).Results: The combined therapy was potent; it showed the highest significant reduction in the numberof intestinal worms and encysted muscular larvae with preservation of the different tissues elements asinvestigated by different stains and TEM.Conclusion: MSCs can be used as additive/synergistic therapy in the treatment of trichinosis.