Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Albendazole/administration & dosage , Anticestodal Agents/administration & dosage , Dexamethasone/administration & dosage , Glucocorticoids/administration & dosage , Neurocysticercosis/drug therapy , Drug Therapy, Combination , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The objective of the present study was to determine if the combination of alkaloids from Sophora moorcroftiana seeds and albendazole might be effective in the treatment of experimental echinococcosisin female NIH mice (6 weeks old and weighing 18-20 g, N = 8 in each group) infected withprotoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus. Viable protoscolices (N = 6 x 103) were cultured in vitro in 1640 medium and mortality was calculated daily. To determine the in vivo efficacy, mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with viable protoscolices and then treated once daily by gavage for three months with the alkaloids (50 mg kg-1 day-1) and albendazole (50 mg kg-1 day-1), separately and in combination (both alkaloids at 25 mg kg-1 day-1 and albendazole at 25 mg kg-1 day-1). Next, the hydatid cysts collected from the peritoneal cavity of the animals were weighed and serum IL-4, IL-2, and IgE levels were analyzed. Administration of alkaloids to cultured protoscolices showed significant dose- and time-dependent killing effects. The weight of hydatid cysts was significantly decreased upon treatment with each drug (P < 0.01), but the decrease was more prominent and the rate of hydatid cyst growth inhibition was much higher (76.1 percent) in the group receiving the combined treatments (18.3 ± 4.6 mg). IL-4 and total IgE were decreased (939 ± 447 pg/mL and 2.03 ± 0.42 IU/mL, respectively) in serum from mice treated with alkaloids and albendazole compared with the untreated control (1481 ± 619 pg/mL and 3.31 ± 0.37 IU/mL; P < 0.01). These results indicate that S. moorcroftiana alkaloids have protoscolicidal effects and the combination of alkaloids and albendazole has significant additive effects.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Mice , Albendazole/administration & dosage , Alkaloids/administration & dosage , Anticestodal Agents/administration & dosage , Echinococcosis/drug therapy , Echinococcus granulosus/drug effects , Sophora/chemistry , Disease Models, Animal , Drug Therapy, Combination , Echinococcosis/immunology , Echinococcosis/pathology , Immunoglobulin E/blood , /blood , /blood , Mice, Inbred Strains , Seeds/chemistry , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Objetivo. La terapia para la neurocisticercosis parenquimatosa con praziquantel (PZQ) de 15 días ha mostrado ser efectiva. Las concentraciones en plasma y líquido cefalorraquídeo (LCR) del PZQ son más elevadas después de dos horas de su administración. Nosostros pensamos que el mantenimiento de concentraciones elevadas de PZQ por seis horas pudieran ser una terapia cisticida adecuada para estos pacientes. Métodos. Tratamos 30 pacientes con neurocisticercosis parenquimatosa con tres dosis orales de 25 mg por kg de peso de PZQ con intervalos de dos horas. Ellos recibieron dexametasona 10 mg intramuscular por tres días consecutivos a la administración del PZQ. Resultados. En 21 pacientes desaparecieron los quistes, en siete hubo una desaparición de 30 a 60 por ciento y dos pacientes permanecieron sin cambios. Del número total de quistes, hubo una tasa de desaparición de 70.7 por ciento. Dos pacientes presentaron crisis convulsivas, seis cefalea y otros más náusea. Ningún paciente cursó con convulsiones durante el tratamiento con antiepilépticos. Conclusión. El costo y el tiempo de administración del PZQ se reducen significativamente y la inflamación que sigue a la destrucción del parásito es tratada secuencialmente