Clinical and Histopathological Study on Dermatophytes Infections Caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes Using Animal Model

Abstract

Background: dermatophytes are parasitic fungi that infect skin, hair and nails of both humans and animals, they are the primary causative agent of dermatophytosis, a major public health concern in some geographic regions. Objective : To study the pathogenesis of dermatophytes infections and the antifungal activity of essential oil extract of  Lavandula  intermedia. Methods: Zoophilic strain of Ttichophyton mentagrophytes isolated from  dermatophytic patients infected with tinea corporis inoculated in the back of the rabbits using the abrasion (non-occlusion) method. Results: Twenty animals were categorized into two groups as follows: control groups involved 10 animals, 5 animals were subjected to  abrasion only, and other 5 animals were subjected to infection (after abrasion).While the other ten animals represented by study groups which involved 5 animals were exposed to infection and treated in 10^th day of infection with 1% terbinafine and the other 5 animals  were treated with 10% lavender essential oil extract(it gave 5%and 10% MIC and MFC respectively). The treated animals showed healing in 12-14 day, while not treated animals showed spontaneous healing in 35-40 day. Conclusion: Rabbit model was found to be useful in the primary screening and evaluation of the anti-dermatophytic efficacy of topical formulations of antifungal agents. T. mentagrophytes produced infection in rabbit's skin in 2X10⁶ cells /ml. Lavender essential oil could be used as alternative antifungal agents in treatment of dermatophytosis in chronic diseases ,immunocompromised and immunosuppressed drugs therapy patients.

Key words : Dermatophytosis, T. mentagrophytes animal model