A Study of Some Physiological and Immunological Parameters in Albino Rats Experimentally Infected with Entamoeba Histolytica and Treated with Lectin

Abstract

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of infecting albino rats with E. histolytica and injecting with plant lectin on some physiological and immunological parameters (Hepcidin, β-tryptase, IL-12, IL-17). The experimental animals were divided into three groups, the first and second groups contained 12 animals, and the third group contained 21 animals. The animals of the first group were injected with 3 mg/ml of plant lectin (seed wheat lectin) three times between one injection and another, one week. The second group was experimentally infected with E. histolytica, while the last group was infected with E. histolytica after being injected with lectin. 5 ml of all experimental animals were withdrawn and divided into two groups; the first group was used to perform the complete blood count (CBC), while the second group was used to obtain the serum, which was kept at -20 c˚ for the later use for physiological and immunological tests using ELISA technique The result showed that lectin injection had a significant effect on the total numbers of leukocytes and the percentage of granulocytes in addition to the total number of blood platelets. As for E. histolytica infection, it had a significant effect on the total number of leukocytes and the percentage of lymphocytes, the percentage of granulocytes, in addition to their significant effects on the total number of erythrocytes and the concentration of hemoglobin. In the third group, E. histolytica infection after lectin injection had a significant effect on the total numbers of leukocytes, the percentage of lymphocytes and the percentage of monocytes. It was found from the results that lectin injection had a significant effect only on the concentration of β-tryptase, while the infection with E. histolytica had a significant effect on the concentration of β-tryptase and hepcidin. In the third group, E. histolytica after lectin injection had a significant effect on the concentration of β-tryptase only. We concluded from the results of the current study that lectin injection, E. histolytica infection, and both together, did not significantly affected the concentration of IL-12 and IL-17, while they significantly affected the concentration of β-tryptase only in all groups.