Anibal FF
University of São Paulo, Brazil
Title: Menthapiperita L. improves liver fibrosis on experimental schistosomiasis
Biography
Biography: Anibal FF
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a chronic disease caused by an intravascular trematode of the genus Schistosoma. Praziquantel (PZQ), the only drug recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment and control of human schistosomiasis, is now facing the threat of drug resistance, indicating the urgent need for new effective compounds to treat this disease. In this work we investigated the immunomodulatory and antiparasitic effects of Mentha piperita L. (peppermint) on murine Schistosomiasis mansoni. Female Balb/c mice were infected each with S. mansoni cercariae and divided into three experimental groups: (I) untreated; (II) treated daily with M. piperita L. and (III) treated on 1/42/43 days post-infection with Praziquantel. Another group with uninfected and untreated mice was used as a control. Subsequently, seven weeks post-infection, S. mansoni eggs were counted in the feces and intestine. Worms were recovered by perfusion of the hepatic portal system and counted. Sera levels of IL-10, IL-13, IFN-_ were assayed by ELISA. Animals treated with a daily dose of M. piperita L. showed increased sera levels of IL-10, IFN-_, IgG2a and IgE. Besides, M. piperita L. treatment promoted reduction in parasite burden by 35.2% and significant decrease in egg counts in the feces and intestine. Moreover, the treatment appears to involve liver modulation after the onset of granuloma inflammation, and prevent liver fibrosis.
