Bilal Mahmood Beg; Aqeel Javeed; Muhammad Ashraf; Arfan Ahmad; Adeel Sattar; Mehmood Ahmad
Abstract
Background: Niclosamide, a STAT3 inhibitor, is widely under investigation due to its anti-cancer properties. STAT3 also exhibits an exciting role in the immune responses. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of niclosamide on immune response of mice. Methods: Niclosamide was administered ...
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Background: Niclosamide, a STAT3 inhibitor, is widely under investigation due to its anti-cancer properties. STAT3 also exhibits an exciting role in the immune responses. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of niclosamide on immune response of mice. Methods: Niclosamide was administered to balb/c mice. To evaluate cell-mediated immune response, a contact-hypersensitivity (CHS) test, cyclophosphamide-induced neutropenic assay, and carbon clearance test were performed, whereas a humoral immune response was evaluated by hemagglutination assay (HA) and mice lethality test. The concentration of TGF-β1 was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on murine peritoneal macrophages. Results: In the CHS test, niclosamide caused a decrease in skin thickness, significantly exhibiting a decrease in inflammation. A highly significant decrease in overall leukocyte count (lymphocytes and neutrophils) was observed before and after cyclophosphamide injection as compared with the control group. However, only a highly significant decrease in the neutrophil percentage was observed. Niclosamide has decreased the phagocytic process immensely compared with the control. In the HA titer, niclosamide was found to reduce the antibodies' titer compared with the negative control group. In the mice lethality test, the treatment groups have shown an increase in the percentage of mortality. TGF-β1 elevated in peritoneal macrophages when treated with niclosamide, in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Niclosamide exerts potent immunomodulatory effects by significantly suppressing cell-mediated and humoral immune responses and increasing the levels of TGF-β1 in mice. Niclosamide might be added as an adjuvant to immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Mohsen Moghadami; Afagh Moattari; Hamid Reza Tabatabaee; Alireza Mirahmadizadeh; Abbas Rezaianzadeh; Jafar Hasanzadeh; Mostafa Ebrahimi; Nima Zamiri; Abdolvahab Alborzi; Kamran Bagheri Lankarani
Volume 7, Issue 1 , March 2010, , Pages 39-48
Abstract
Background: Pandemic flu had at least two waves in Iran. Knowing how many of the general population were already exposed to this infection has a major impact on na-tional preventive measures. As of December 30, 2009, a total of 3672 confirmed cases of human infection with a novel Influenza A (2009 H1N1) ...
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Background: Pandemic flu had at least two waves in Iran. Knowing how many of the general population were already exposed to this infection has a major impact on na-tional preventive measures. As of December 30, 2009, a total of 3672 confirmed cases of human infection with a novel Influenza A (2009 H1N1) virus had been reported in Iran with 140 deaths. Objective: In this study we aim to measure, as a pilot study, the seroprevalence of positive antibody titer (humoral immunity) against 2009 H1N1 virus in Iranian population in Shiraz, Southern Iran. Methods: Through cluster random sam-pling of families residing in Shiraz, 2553 subjects were selected and after a medical in-terview blood samples were taken and checked for polyclonal antibody against 2009 H1N1 antigen using hemagglutination inhibition assay. An antibody titer of more than 1:40 dilution was considered positive. Data were analyzed considering the demographic characteristics of the population and were compared among different age groups. Results: 1504 (58.91%) samples were tested positive for the presence of polyclonal an-tibody against 2009 H1N1 virus. The prevalence of positive titers were significantly higher in 60 to 64 years old group and significantly lower in 20 to 24 years old group (p<0.05). Data did not differ based on other demographic characteristics or the history of flu like illnesses in the past 6 months. Conclusion: High seroprevalence of antibody against 2009 H1N1 in the sera of our subjects describes either a high level of pre-existing immunity against H1N1 in Iranian population or a high rate of asymptomatic infection in our area compared to other countries.
