Fig 1.
TEM micrographs of prepared NPs showing spherical and hexagonal shapes with weak agglomeration and increasing the size after NTZ loading.
(A) Blank ZnO NPs (scale bar of 50 nm). (B) NTZ-loaded ZnO NPs (scale bar of 200 nm).
Fig 2.
FTIR micrographs of the prepared NPs.
(A) Blank ZnO NPs. (B) NTZ-loaded ZnO NPs.
Fig 3.
X.ray diffraction pattern of the prepared NPs.
(A) Blank ZnO NPs. (B) NTZ-loaded ZnO NPs.
Table 1.
Counts of adult T. spiralis in the intestine and drug efficacy in the various subgroups.
Table 2.
Counts of T. spiralis larvae in the muscles and drug efficacy in the various subgroups.
Fig 4.
(A) Mean count of T. spiralis adult worms in the intestine. (B) Mean count of T. spiralis larvae in muscles.
Table 3.
Biochemical changes in the sera of various subgroups with statistical comparison.
Fig 5.
Biochemical changes in the sera of various subgroups with statistical comparison.
Table 4.
Biochemical changes in the muscle tissues of various subgroups with statistical comparison.
Fig 6.
Biochemical changes in the muscle tissues of various subgroups.
(A) Mean MDA (nmol/g tissue) among various subgroups. (B) Mean NO (μmol/g tissue) among various subgroups.
Table 5.
Immunological intestinal changes of various subgroups with statistical comparison.
Table 6.
Immunological muscular changes of various subgroups with statistical comparison.
Fig 7.
Immunological changes in the intestinal phase among various subgroups.
(A) Mean IL-2 (pg/mg protein) among various subgroups. (B) Mean IL-4 (ng/mg protein) among various subgroups.
Fig 8.
Immunological changes in the muscular phase among various subgroups.
(A) Mean IL-2 (pg/mg protein) among various subgroups. (B) Mean IL-4 (ng/mg protein) among various subgroups.
Table 7.
Histopathological intestinal changes of various subgroups with statistical comparison.
Fig 9.
Intestinal histopathologic photomicrographs (H&E).
(A) Intestinal mucosa of normal uninfected control representing normal villous architecture with minimal chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate (x100). (B) and (C) Intestine of infected untreated control shows moderate to marked mixed inflammatory infiltrate, villous broadening with focal fusion (x100). (D) Blank ZnO NPs treated mice reveals moderate villous broadening with infiltration by moderate mixed inflammation (x100). (E) Albendazole treated subgroup displays intestine with mild inflammation and focal villous fusion (x100). (F) Mice treated with NTZ demonstrate focal villous broadening with mild mixed inflammation (x100). (G) Well-formed villi with minimal inflammation are noticed in mice treated with NTZ-loaded ZnO NPs (x100).
Table 8.
Histopathological muscular changes of various subgroups with statistical comparison.
Fig 10.
Muscular histopathologic photomicrographs (H&E).
(A) Skeletal muscle tissue of normal uninfected control representing normal architecture (x100). (B) Muscle of infected untreated control reveals encysted larva with surrounding thick capsule and mild inflammatory reaction (x200). (C) Blank ZnO NPs treated mice displays viable larva surrounded by thick muscular capsule with mild inflammatory reaction (x200). (D) Mice treated with albendazole show larva surrounded by a thin capsule with moderate mixed inflammation (x100). (E) and (F) NTZ treated subgroup demonstrates some degenerated larvae with surrounding disrupted capsules attacked by moderate to marked inflammation (x200 and x100 respectively). (G) and (H) NTZ-loaded ZnO NPs with the mostly degenerated larvae, evidently disrupted capsules that are strongly attacked by marked mixed inflammatory infiltrate (x200 and x100 respectively).