Assessment of the Potential Effect of S-Methylcysteine Alone and in Combination with Metal-Organic Framework Nanoparticles on Experimental Toxoplasmosis in Immunosuppressed Mice

This study was conducted to investigate the potential therapeutic effect of S-methylcysteine (SMC) used singly, in combination with pyrimethamine (P) and sulfadiazine (S) regimen, and in conjugation with metal-organic framework nanoparticles (MOFs) on chronic toxoplasmosis in immunosuppressed mice. Fifty-four mice were immunosuppressed and divided into 9 groups (G); GІ (negative control), GП (positive control), GⅢ- GⅣf (infected and treated); GⅢ (P-S), GⅣa (SMC50), GⅣb (SMC25), GⅣc (SMC25, P-S), GⅣd (SMC25-MOFs), GⅣe (SMC25, P-MOFs, and S-MOFs), and GⅣf (SMC25-MOFs, P-MOFs, and S-MOFs). The infected mice were orally inoculated with 20 Toxoplasma cysts/ mouse. Mice treatment stared Fifty days post infection for 10 consecutive days. Assessment of the therapeutic effect of each treatment model included: parasitological parameters (brain cyst burden), histopathological examination of mice brain sections, and immunological assessment of mice serum interferon gamma (IFN-Υ) levels. GⅣf exhibited the highest percentage of brain cyst reduction (70.54%) and the highest percentage of IFN-Υ levels increase (182.23%). Nevertheless, significant increase in glial cell number, an evident increase in the degree of inflammation. Drugs loaded on MOFs have anti-Toxoplasma effect on chronic toxoplasmosis in immunosuppressed mice.