title: Curative effect of radiotherapy at various doses on subcutaneous alveolar echinococcosis in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a disease in human and animals, and the cure rate is unsatisfactory. This study aimed to investigate the curative efficacy of different doses of locally applied radiotherapy on alveolar echinococcosis in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats infected with Echinococcus multilocularis were randomly divided into 4 groups of 15 rats each: low-, middle-, and high-irradiation groups and a control group. Rats in the control group underwent no treatment, while rats in the irradiation groups received 6-MeV radiotherapy at 20 Gy/8 f, 40 Gy/8 f, and 60 Gy/8 f respectively, once every 3 days for a total of 8 times. One month after radiotherapy, wet weight and AE vesicle inhibitory rate were detected in rats of each group. Histopathologic and ultrastructural observations of tissues with AE lesions were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the treatment groups, an obvious inhibitory effect was found in AE rats; the inhibitory rates were 50%, 72%, and 82%, respectively. There were also statistical differences in pathological changes and average wet weight of the lesions compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In the treatment groups, injuries of various degrees were found in the ultrastructure of the laminated and germinal layers in the capsular wall of AE, and injury was most severe in the high-dose group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiotherapy has a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the growth of AE.
authors: Tumor Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, China.
authors: Yue-Fen
authors: YF
authors: Zhang
authors: Zeng-Ru
authors: ZR
authors: Xie
authors: Ya-Qiong
authors: YQ
authors: Ni
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Mao
authors: Hong-Zhi
authors: HZ
authors: Qi
authors: Yu-Gang
authors: YG
authors: Yang
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Jiang
authors: Yong-Xing
authors: YX
authors: Bao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004443:Echinococcosis; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D051381:Rats