| Popis: |
The defensive role of nitric oxide (NO) against Hymenolepis nana was investigated in vivo and in vitro studies. Serum NO levels were increased (P0.001) in mice 5 days (cysticercoid stage) and 15 days (adult stage) after H. nana induced oral infection with 1000 eggs/mouse, compared with normal controls. Meanwhile, L-NAME, a NO synthase inhibitor, oral administration in drinking water to infected mice caused a non significant decrease in serum NO levels (P0.05) compared with normal controls, and was associated with a significant increase in number of both cysticercoids and adult worms (P0.001) compared to that in infected mice 5 and 15 days post infection. In an in vitro study, the NO donor; sodium nitroprusside caused an increased mortality rate of H. nana cysticercoids and adult worms (P0.001) compared with controls without NO donor, and this was in a concentration-dependent manner (P0.001). Implications of these results are discussed. |
