title: Efficacy of combined treatment with albendazole and baicalein against eosinophilic meningitis induced by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in mice.
abstract: Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans. Baicalein is a flavonoid originally isolated from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of the combination of albendazole and baicalein for treating eosinophilic meningitis in BALB/c mice. Therapeutic efficacy included the survival time, body weight, neurological function, leucocyte and eosinophil counts, eotaxin concentration, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity, larval recovery and histopathological examination. The results showed that the combination of albendazole and baicalein was more effective than either drug administered singly. Combination therapy increased the survival time, decreased body weight loss, neurological dysfunction, leucocyte response, eotaxin concentration and MMP-9 activity. Our results suggest that the combination of albendazole and baicalein may exhibit synergistic beneficial effects in the treatment of eosinophilic meningitis induced by A. cantonensis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors.forename: Han-Jiang
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zhi-Yue
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Zheng-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li-Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Huan-Qin
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wei-Yang
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Shao-Qi
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Xin-Bing
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zhong-Dao
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D000818:Animals; D000969:Antinematodal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001835:Body Weight; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology; D044950:Flavanones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D008581:Meningitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000969:Antinematodal Agents; C515457:Ccl11 protein, mouse; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D044950:Flavanones; C006680:baicalein; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D015766:Albendazole