ABSTRACT
This work was planned to study the dual effect of cyclosporin A in experimental Hymenolepis nana infection in mice. 100 Swiss albino mice were used and divided into 2 large groups. 60 mice were used in the first experiment and subdivided into gp. [1] control, gp. [2] treated with CsA [150 mg /kg/dose] early at infection time [2a] or later at days 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 p.i. [2b] and gp. [3] treated with cortisone acetate [2.5 mg /dose] early [3a] or later on [3b]. Cysticercoid count was done for gp. [2a, 3a and 1] and adult worm count was done for gp. [2b,3b and 1]. 40 mice were used in the second experiment and divided into [4] groups to study the effect of CsA on the acquired resistance to re-infection. Gp. [1] infected with 500 H.nana eggs and challenged with 2000 eggs at 10[th] day p.i., gp [2] received a single 2000 eggs at 10[th] d.p.i., gp. [3] received CsA, infected and challenged with H.nana eggs and gp [4] received cortisone acetate, infected and challenged with H.nana eggs. Local intestinal IgA was examined by peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique [PAP]. Histopathological examination on H.and E. stained sections was done to see the intensity of infection. The results of this work showed that CsA has a direct antiparasitic effect by decreasing the cysticerciod counts in both experiments and immunosuppressive effect as indicated by increased worm burden and decreased local IgA deposition in experiments I and II respectively in comparison to normal and cortisone treated groups. Thus, it can be concluded that, in H. nana infection CsA exerts both antiparasitic and immunosuppressive effects. However, the antiparasitic effect predominates the immunosuppressive one