Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, characterized by demyelination and neurodegeneration affecting the brain and spinal cord. Echinococcus granulosus the causative agent of Cystic echinococcosis induces profound immunomodulation effects that enable evasion of host anti-parasitic immune response. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol component with well-documented anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The present study was conducted to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of E. granulosus protoscolices (PSCs) in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an established animal model of MS, and to compare their therapeutic effect with that of curcumin. 40 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10 per group): control, EAE, EAE treated with E. granulosus PSCs and EAE treated with curcumin. Levels of proinflammatory cytokines, brain nitric oxide (NO) concentration, serum myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) were assessed. Based on our results, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis caused significant increase in proinflammatory cytokines, MPO activity, MDA levels and NO concentration as compared with controls. Treatment with either curcumin or PSCs reduced the release of inflammatory cytokines, MPO activity, MDA levels and NO concentration compared with EAE group. No difference was observed between curcumin and PSCs treated groups. The results of current study demonstrate that PSCs exert a therapeutic effect in EAE model by decreasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting oxidative stress. The similar role was also observed for curcumin. Notably, the efficacy of PSCs treatment was comparable to that of curcumin.
Jafari-Khataylou et al. (Thu,) studied this question.