Efficacy of combined treatment with albendazole and baicalein against eosinophilic meningitis induced by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in mice.
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.
He
Han-Jiang
HJ
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
Lv
Zhi-Yue
ZY
Li
Zheng-Yu
ZY
Zhang
Li-Yan
LY
Liao
Qi
Q
Zheng
Huan-Qin
HQ
Su
Wei-Yang
WY
Rao
Shao-Qi
SQ
Yu
Xin-Bing
XB
Wu
Zhong-Dao
ZD
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
D000969:Antinematodal Agents; C515457:Ccl11 protein, mouse; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D044950:Flavanones; C006680:baicalein; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D015766:Albendazole