Efficacy of Selenium Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Cryptosporidium Parvum -Infected Immunosuppressed Mice ]Parasitological and Histobiochemical Study[

AbstractBackground: Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) is an intracellular coccidian protozoan capable of causing life-threatening consequences for individuals whose immune systems are compromised. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient that has a crucial role in various physiological and pathological processes, and it provides protection against oxidative stress. There has been a growing focus on nanoparticles (NPs) as antiparasitic agents. This research evaluated the use of Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) when compared to Nitazoxanide (NTZ) for the treatment of C. parvum in immunosuppressed experimentally infected mice.Methods: The study included five groups, each having 10 male Swiss albino mice; GI: Immunocompetent non-infected, non-treated, GII: Immunosuppressed non-infected, non-treated mice, GIII: Immunosuppressed infected, non-treated, GIV: Immunosuppressed infected, NTZ treated and GV: Immunosuppressed infected, SeNPs treated.Results: Treatment of immunosuppressed C. parvum-infected mice with SeNPs exhibited a significant reduction in oocyst output in their feces, decreasing by approximately 76%. Moreover, the histological and immunohistochemical examination of the jejunum and liver sections of all the studied groups showed improved structure in the SeNPs-treated group compared to NTZ treated and untreated groups. SeNPs significantly raised the level of the serum markers associated with inflammation, decreased oxidative stress markers, increased levels of antioxidant enzymes, and restored apoptotic markers levels. Conclusion: The results collectively showed the superior efficacy of SeNPs over NTZ, regarding their roles as anti-coccidial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory agents against cryptosporidiosis induced in immunosuppressed mice.Keywords: Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), Nitazoxanide (NTZ), Immunohistochemical.