Evaluation of potential embryo toxicity of albendazole sulphoxide in CF1 mice

Benzimidazole compounds are used in both humans and animals for controlling helminth parasites. Albendazole has teratogenic effects attributed to its active metabolite albendazole sulphoxide. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the latter compound when administered to pregnant CF1 mice during the preimplantation period. Females were superovulated by intraperitoneal injection of 10 IU of eCG and 10 IU of hCG (48h later) and were paired with males of proven fertility. Albendazole sulphoxide (200 mg/kg) was orally administered by gavages at day 1, 2 or 3 of pregnancy; the control group received only the vehicle (carboxymethylcellulose). Females were killed by cervical dislocation at day 4 of pregnancy and embryos were flushed from uteri with Ham F10 media supplemented with bovine serum albumin (0.4%). Number of collected embryos per female, percentage of morphologically normal embryos, differentiation rate and number of cells per embryos were recorded. The variables were analyzed on a per litter basis by Kruskal-Wallis test. There was no effect of albendazole sulphoxide on parameters evaluated (P>0.05). We conclude that the preimplantation mouse embryo development was not significantly affected by albendazole sulphoxide.

Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary cystic hydatidosis.

OBJECTIVE: Hydatidosis is a parasitic infection that is still an important public health problem in Turkey. In the present study, it was planned to review the diagnostic and treatment options. METHODS: The study was conducted in pediatric pulmonary chest ward of Izmir Chest Diseases and Surgery Training Hospital, a referral tertiary hospital for pulmonary diseases in Western Turkey. Cases were evaluated in clinical presentations, radiological, histopathologic and serological features retrospectively. RESULTS: Consecutive 17 (11 male and 6 female; mean age 11.29 + 2.44) pediatric cases between 1996 and 2001 were evaluated. Liver involvement was found in 8 (47%) cases. Casoni skin test and IHA test were found positive in 7 (63.6%) and 8 (72.7%) out of 11 cases, respectively. Surgical treatment was performed only in 7 (41.1%) cases as well as surgical plus medical treatment was given in 3 (17.6%) cases. Seven (41.1%) cases were treated just medically. CONCLUSION: Hydatidosis should be considered in the existence of appropriate clinical and radiological findings as a probable diagnosis in all children in our region. Surgery should be the first choice for treatment but, medical therapy was considered as effective for treatment complicated and/or nonsurgical pediatric cases.