Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE, cilt.114, sa.2, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Encephalitozoon intestinalis is a species of microsporidia that causes serious health problems, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The drug of choice for treatment today is albendazole. However, partial effects, resistance, and serious side effects are reported. Recently, vinpocetine has become a safe drug that is being investigated for the treatment of various diseases. In this study, the anti-microsporidial efficacies of vinpocetine, albendazole, and vinpocetine- albendazole combination, and how these combinations affected pathogen-induced tissue damage were assessed. In the study, male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 6 groups. Except for the control groups, the other groups were infected with E. intestinalis spores after the application of cyclophosphamide. Treatments were started after the spores were detected by the Modified Trichrome method (MTS) in the stool samples. After five doses of treatment, spore load in stool samples was evaluated by MTS. Additionally, the sections obtained from the small intestines were stained with Masson's trichrome, and histopathological damage was evaluated. Although the spore load was higher in the group treated only with vinpocetine compared to the groups treated with albendazole, small intestinal damage was less. In addition, weight gain was observed in the group that was given vinpocetine and albendazole together. As a result, although the effect of vinpocetine on E. intestinalis virulence needs to be supported by larger studies, this study showed that vinpocetine alone has a positive effect on tissue damage. It has also been observed that it does not negatively alter the effectiveness of albendazole when used as a dietary supplement.