الفهرس 
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Abstract
Controversy surrounding the pathogenic potential of Blastocystis spp. in humans and lack of well-established diagnostic criteria beside side effects, treatment failure, and resistance to metronidazole which had been reported; all of that led to debates concerning the treatment for that organism. Furthermore, some strains develop resistance against the recommended drugs. Thus, a great need to develop newer and safer antiparasitic agents has emerged.
This study was conducted to evaluate in vivo activities of both probiotics and silver nanoparticles on mice infected with Blastocystis spp compared to metronidazole effect. Antiprotozoan activities were determined by monitoring Blastocystis shedding in stools and histopathological changes of the intestine of infected mice. Additionally, assessment of the antioxidant effect (via measuring the level of glutathione peroxidase production) of these drugs on the treated groups of mice was done. Also, their effects on nitric oxide (NO) production were assessed.
In this work, number of Blastocystis cysts was counted; and it was shown that the mean number of cysts in control not treated group (Infected control subgroup (GIB) was 2810 cyst with SD=33.91, the mean parasitic count in infected group treated with metronidazole (GIC) was 2214 cyst with SD=32.02 , the mean number of cysts detected in faces of infected group treated by probotics (lactobacillus) (GIIA) was 1999 cyst with SD=35.78 Blastocystis hominis cysts count dropped by 28.86 % and the mean number of cysts in faces of infected group and treated by silver nano particles (GIIB) was 700 cyst with SD=27.39 Blastocystis hominis cysts count dropped by 75.09 % compared to infected treated group with Metronidazole.
, it was noted that there was a decrease in the mean parasitic count in all infected treated groups compared to the infected non treated control group which is marked and statistically significant in the infected group treated by by probotics and silver nano particles (GIIB) as ( p < 0.001) .
It also was reported that the mean titre of serum glutathione in infected not treated group (GIB), was 209.6 with SD= 31.21 while it was reduced to 148.82 with SD=19.40 in serum of infected groups treated by metronidazole (GIA), and 132.5 with SD=9.8 in infected group treated with lactobacillus (GIIB) and markedly reduced to 126.93 with SD= 14.9 in infected group treated with silver nanoparticles (GIIC), and that reduction was statistically significant as (p < 0.001) .
As well, , histopathological examination of intestinal sections from the infected groups treated with lactobacillus, revealed an improvement in the form of normal villi, with mild inflammation and decrease of Blastocystis at the intestinal surface.
Use of silver nanoparticles and probiotics as a treatment gives arise to changes in the form of nearly absent Blastocystis forms, cessation of pathologic activity and marked improvement of inflammatory changes with enhancement of villus architecture compared to Metronidazole treated group which continues to have some activity of inflammatory changes and persistent disturbance of villus architecture.
Histopathological examination revealed that Blastocystis was frequently observed within the lumen, at the tip of the epithelium, and/ or infiltrated in an enterocyte in the infected non treated group and infected group treated with Metronidazol so we can say that using probiotics and silver nanoparticles is beneficial and better than Metronidazole for treatment of Blastocystosis .