# Effect of Moringa oleifera and ivermectin nanoparticles on the immunopathological response during experimental trichinosis in mice

## TL;DR

This study examines how Moringa oleifera and ivermectin nanoparticles affect immune responses in mice infected with a parasitic worm, showing improved outcomes when used together.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the evaluation of IVM-NP and MOL-NP, alone and in combination, for modulating macrophage polarization in trichinosis.

## Key findings

- IVM-NP and MOL-NP reduced pro-inflammatory markers like iNOS, TNF-α, and NF-κB.
- Combination therapy decreased parasite burden and intestinal pathology more effectively than monotherapy.
- The treatments increased the gene expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10.

## Abstract

Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) infection dynamically modulates macrophage polarization. It promotes M1 macrophage polarization, enhancing the pro-inflammatory pathways. This study investigates how ivermectin nanoparticles (IVM-NP) and Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MOL-NP) regulate these pathways to improve the pathophysiological outcomes of trichinosis. Thirty Swiss albino mice were infected with T. spiralis and divided equally into five groups of six mice each: healthy controls, infected untreated, IVM-NP-treated, MOL-NP-treated, and combined IVM-NP and MOL-NP-treated. IVM-NP were administered as a single oral dose of 200 µg/kg at the beginning of the experiment. MOL-NP were delivered orally at a dose of 400 mg/kg/day for 5 consecutive days starting from experiment initiation. Parasitological examination to detect the parasitic burden in addition to histopathological, immunohistochemical and quantitative histomorphometric assessment of intestinal tissue for nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were done. Furthermore, RT-PCR was performed to evaluate the relative gene expression of Arginase-1, TNF-α, and IL-10. Treatment with nanoparticle formulations of IVM and MOL modulated macrophage-related immune responses by reducing the pro-inflammatory markers iNOS, TNF-α and NF-κB, while increasing the relative gene expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Combination therapy exhibited superior efficacy in decreasing parasite burden and mitigating intestinal pathology compared to monotherapy.