Therapeutic effects of acetylspiramycin and garlicin on cryptosporidiosis among drug users

Cryptosporidiosis affects humans of all ages, particularly malnourished children and those with compromised immune systems such as HIV/AIDS. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of acetylspiramycin and garlicin on Cryptosporidium infection in institutionalized male drug users receiving rehabilitative treatment. Examination of stool specimens from 903 drug users via modified acid-fast bacilli staining resulted in 172 positive cases. Among them 151 subjects consented to participate in a randomized trial of acetylspiramycin and garlicin in four groups: acetylspiramycin plus garlicin, acetylspiramycin only, garlicin only, and placebo control. The cryptosporidiosis rate was higher in younger subjects with longer drug use history than subjects who are older with shorter history of drug use. After two segments of treatments, 76.2% of the cases achieved negative test results, with the four groups achieving the rates of 92.1%, 76.7%, 72.2%, and 61.8%, respectively (χ(2) = 9.517, P = 0.023). These results indicate clinical potential of garlicin in conjunction with acetylspiramycin in treating cryptosporidiosis.

Modulatory role of garlicin in migration and invasion of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma via PI3K/AKT pathway

Increasing evidences have indicated the role of garlicin in inhibiting the progression of various tumors including glioma, pulmonary carcinoma and pancreatic carcinoma, via mediating cell apoptosis or cell cycle. The regulatory effect and related molecular mechanism of garlicin in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, however, remained unknown. This study thus aimed to investigate this scientific issue. HCCC-9810 cell line was treated with serially diluted garlicin, followed by cell proliferation assay using MTT approach. Transwell migration and invasion assays were further employed the regulatory effect of garlicin. The expression level of p-AKT and AKT proteins in tumor cells was quantified by Western blot. The growth of tumor cells was significantly inhibited by high concentration of garlicin (> 1.5 μM). Lower concentration of garlicin showed dose-dependent inhibition of tumor cell invasion and migration. After using specific agonist IGF-1 (50 ng/mL) of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, such facilitating effects of garlicin were depressed (P < 0.05). Western blotting showed significantly decreased phosphorylation level of AKT after treated with gradient concentrations of garlicin, while leaving the total AKT protein level unchanged. Garlicin may inhibit the invasion and migration of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cells via inhibiting PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Effects of garlicin on apoptosis in rat model of colitis

AIM: To investigate the effects of garlicin on apoptosis and expression of bcl-2 and bax in lymphocytes in rat model of ulcerative colitis (UC).

METHODS: Healthy adult Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes, weighing 180±30 g, were employed in the present study. The rat model of UC was induced by 2,4,6-trinitr-obenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) enema. The experimental animals were randomly divided into garlicin treatment group (including high and low concentration), model control group, and normal control group. Rats in garlicin treatment group and model control group received intracolic garlicin daily at doses of 10.0 and 30.0 mg/kg and equal amount of saline respectively 24 h after colitis model was induced by alcohol and TNBS co-enema. Rats in normal control group received neither alcohol nor only TNBS but only saline enema in this study. On the 28^th d of the experiment, rats were executed, the expression of bcl-2 and bax protein was determined immunohistochemically and the apoptotic cells were detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate fluorescence nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. At the same time, the rat colon mucosal damage index (CMDI) was calculated.

RESULTS: In garlicin treatment group, the positive expression of bcl-2 in lymphocytes decreased and the number of apoptotic cells was more than that in model control group, CMDI was lower than that in model control group. The positive expression of bax in lymphocytes had no significant difference.

CONCLUSION: Garlicin can protect colonic mucosa against damage in rat model of UC induced by TNBS enema.