The effect of cyclosporin A on Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection and eosinophilia in mice.
Male BALB/c mice were infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis and at various times p.i. treated with cyclosporin A (CsA) either for 5 days continuously or intermittently, or for 12-16 days on alternate days. They were monitored for peripheral blood eosinophilia and at necropsy examined for CSF and bone marrow eosinophilia, and worm recovery. CsA treatment provoked a transient inhibition of peripheral blood eosinophilia in all groups examined, followed by rebounding eosinophilia. There was no significant difference in bone marrow and CSF eosinophilia between CsA- and vehicle-treated groups. Mice treated with CsA on alternate days yielded lower intracranial worm recovery with small-sized worms at days 7, 21 and 30 p.i. than vehicle-treated groups did. No significant reduction in worm recovery was noted in mice treated for 5 days either continuously or intermittently, although worms, especially female ones, harvested from groups treated with CsA from days--1 to 3 or from days 13 to 17 were significantly smaller than those from vehicle-treated groups. CsA-treatment suppressed blastogenic responses of spleen cells against Con A or worm antigen at days 7 and 21 p.i. In vitro treatment of the 3rd stage larvae with CsA did not adversely influence survival of A. cantonensis in mice. These data indicate that CsA exerts anti-parasitic effects against A. cantonensis in mice.
Yoshimura
K
K
Department of Parasitology, Akita University School of Medicine, Japan.
Sugaya
H
H
Ishida
K
K
Khan
W I
WI
Abe
T
T
Unno
K
K
D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000276:immunology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000276:immunology*
D016572:Cyclosporine