The anti-leishmanial activity of ivermectin, pentostam or combination of pentostam with either levamisole or thymic extract was tested against Leishmania donovani infection in hamsters and mice. In vitro peritoneal macrophage-parasite interaction, the effect of splenic cells on the interaction of macrophages and parasites, spleen weight, parasite burden in spleen tissue as well as the antibody ...

Site segregation of coexisting ectoparasite species may result either from a direct interaction such as resource competition between them or from a host-mediated interaction. Here we present an individual-based model for the coevolution of 1 host and 2 parasite species to study this latter hypothesis. Parasite species are generalists at the start of the simulation and develop site specificities...

Studies of avian host-parasite interactions rarely include consequences of relationships among hosts for either the host or parasite species. In this study, we examine the ectoparasitic burden of adult and nestling European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) and rock sparrows (Petronia petronia) in a mixed colony. We found that (1) each bird species had its own species of lice; (2) hematophagous mite...

The infection consequences of the introduced cestode fish parasite Bothriocephalus acheilognathi were studied in a cohort of wild, young-of-the-year common carp Cyprinus carpio that lacked co-evolution with the parasite. Within the cohort, parasite prevalence was 42% and parasite burdens were up to 12% body weight. Pathological changes within the intestinal tract of parasitized carp included di...

Parasitic helminths present one of the most pervasive challenges to grazing herbivores. Many macro-parasite transmission models focus on host physiological defence strategies, omitting more complex interactions between hosts and their environments. This work represents the first model that integrates both the behavioural and physiological elements of gastro-intestinal nematode transmission dyna...

Fascioliasis is one of the public health problems in the world. Cysteine proteinases (CP) released by Fasciola gigantica play a key role in parasite feeding, migration through host tissues, and in immune evasion. There has been some evidence from several parasite systems that proteinases might have potential as protective antigens against parasitic infections. Cysteine proteinases were purified...

A dynamic model for nematode parasites in lambs which links their adult worm burden with decrease in liveweight gain has recently been developed. This model allows for individual lamb variability in response to parasite infection. We use this model to track the liveweight performance of a mob of weaned lambs under six different grazing rotation length scenarios. In all scenarios, lambs with a l...

Calcium is an ubiquitous cellular signaling molecule that controls a variety of cellular processes and is strictly maintained in the cellular compartments by the coordination of various Ca2+ pumps and channels. Two such fundamental calcium pumps are plasma membrane calcium ATPase (PMCA) and Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) which play a pivotal role in maintaining intracellular...

INTRODUCTION Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is a tumour suppressor, limiting intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) proliferation in acute inflammation, and tumour growth, but little is known regarding its role in mucosal homeostasis. Resistance to the intestinal helminth Trichuris muris relies on an "epithelial escalator" to expel the parasite. IEC turnover is restricted by parasite-indu...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by multiple cellular abnormalities culminating in the production of autoantibodies and immune complexes, resulting in tissue inflammation and organ damage. Besides active disease, the main cause of morbidity and mortality in SLE patients is infections, including those from opportunistic pathogens. To understand the failure of the immune system...