Potential Prophylactic Effects of Omeprazole and Quercetin Dihydrate in Murine Cryptosporidiosis

Background: Cryptosporidiosis is a significant diarrheal illness impacting both humans and animals. An entirely effective medication for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis remains unavailable. Consequently, this study aimed to assess the prophylactic impact of omeprazole and quercetin dihydrate in immunosuppressed Cryptosporidium-infected mice.Methods: Forty male mice aged 3-4 weeks, weighing about 20-25 gm, and free from diseases were used. They were equally divided into five groups:(GI): Immunosuppressed uninfected control. (GII): Immunosuppressed infected control. (GIII): received quercetin dihydrate before infection. (GIV): received omeprazole before infection. (GV): received a combination of quercetin dihydrate and omeprazole before infection. The prophylactic effects of quercetin dihydrate and omeprazole were evaluated using parasitological, histopathological, and immunohistochemical studies.Results: Omeprazole and quercetin dihydrate demonstrated protective effects against murine cryptosporidiosis throughout the entire follow-up period. Oocyst shedding showed a more pronounced reduction with omeprazole than with quercetin dihydrate, with a reduction percentage of 26%. The combination group showed the best results, as evidenced by a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in oocyst shedding of 45% at the 20th day post-infection. This was linked to better intestinal and liver structure, with increased IFN-γ and reduced caspase-3 expression in the tissue sections. The highest efficacy was obtained by the omeprazole and quercetin dihydrate combination group.Conclusion: Omeprazole and quercetin dihydrate have a prophylactic effect against cryptosporidiosis and produce promising results. This supports their use in developing a new anti-parasitic agent.