title: Treatment with mebendazole is not associated with distal migration of adult Angiostrongylus costaricensis in the murine experimental infection.
abstract: Abdominal angiostrongyliasis is a zoonotic infection produced by a metastrongylid intra-arterial nematode, Angiostrongylus costaricensis. Human accidental infection may result in abdominal lesions and treatment with anti-helminthics is contra-indicated because of potential higher morbidity with excitement or death of worms inside vessels. To evaluate the effect of mebendazole on localization of the worms, male Swiss mice, 5 week-old, were infected with 10 third stage larvae per animal. Twelve infected mice were treated with oral mebendazol, at 5 mg/kg/day, for 5 consecutive days, begining 22 days after inoculation. As control groups, 12 infected but non-treated mice and other 12 non-infected and non-treated mice were studied. The findings at necropsy were, respectively for the treated (T) and control (C) groups: 92% and 80% of the worms were inside the cecal mesenteric arterial branch; 8% and 10% were located inside the aorta. Only in the group C some worms (10%) were found inside the portal vein or splenic artery. These data indicate that treatment with mebendazole does not lead to distal or ectopic migration of A. costaricensis worms.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, RS, Brasil. mbmentz@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Márcia Bohrer
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Mentz
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graeff-Teixeira
authors.forename: Cinara Tentardini
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Garrido
mesh_terms: D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D000969:Antinematodal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001011:Aorta / Q000469:parasitology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D008463:Mebendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000469:parasitology; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000469:parasitology; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000969:Antinematodal Agents; D008463:Mebendazole