Zinc Oxide and Magnesium-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Ameliorate Murine Chronic Toxoplasmosis
Mohamed Hassan Sarhana b✉, Shatha Ghazi Felembanc, Walla Alelwanid, Hesham M. Sharafe, Yasmin A. Abd El-Latife, Elsayed Elgazzarf, Ahmad M. Kandilg, Guillermo Téllez‐Isaíash, Aya Ali Mohamede
- aMedical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- bMicrobiology Section, Basic Medical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Shaqra University, Shaqra 11961, Saudi Arabia
- cMedical Laboratory Science Department, Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences, Jeddah 21461, Saudi Arabia
- dDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 23890, Saudi Arabia
- eZoology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- fPhysics Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
- gPathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11651, Egypt
- hDepartment of Poultry Science, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii causes a global parasitic disease. Therapeutic options for eradicating toxoplasmosis are limited. In this study, ZnO and Mg-doped ZnO NPs were prepared, and their structural and morphological chrematistics were investigated. The XRD pattern revealed that Mg-doped ZnO NPs have weak crystallinity and a small crystallite size. FTIR and XPS analyses confirmed the integration of Mg ions into the ZnO framework, producing the high-purity Mg-doped ZnO nanocomposite. TEM micrographs determined the particle size of un-doped ZnO in the range of 29 nm, reduced to 23 nm with Mg2+ replacements. ZnO and Mg-doped ZnO NPs significantly decreased the number of brain cysts (p < 0.05) by 29.30% and 35.08%, respectively, compared to the infected untreated group. The administration of ZnO and Mg-doped ZnO NPs revealed a marked histopathological improvement in the brain, liver, and spleen. Furthermore, ZnO and Mg-doped ZnO NPs reduced P53 expression in the cerebral tissue while inducing CD31 expression, which indicated a protective effect against the infection-induced apoptosis and the restoration of balance between free radicals and antioxidant defense activity. In conclusion, the study proved these nanoparticles have antiparasitic, antiapoptotic, and angiogenetic effects. Being nontoxic compounds, these nanoparticles could be promising adjuvants in treating chronic toxoplasmosis.