title: Murine cysticercosis model: influence of the infection time and the time of treatment on the cysticidal efficacy of albendazole and praziquantel.
abstract: In the search of new alternatives for neurocysticercosis treatment, Taenia crassiceps ORF strain cysticerci have been used instead of T. solium for in vitro studies. Up to date, the main criteria for the use of the murine cysticercosis model for drug efficacy evaluation have not been assessed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of two of the main variables related to the in vivo efficacy: the length of drug treatment and the starting time of treatment after experimental infection, using albendazole (ABZ) and praziquantel (PZQ) as test drugs. Additionally, the relationship between the number of cysts and the parasite weight was assessed. For the study, female BALB/c mice were experimentally infected with T. crassiceps cysts. Three different post-infection periods (10, 20 and 30 days) and three different lengths of treatment with ABZ or PZQ (10, 20 and 30 days) were selected. The efficacy of each treatment was evaluated by comparison with a control group. Our results show that for in vivo efficacy studies, the best time to start the drug treatment is 10 days post-infection and that a minimum of 20 days of treatment is required when ABZ or PZQ are used as positive control. Moreover, in this model the parasite weight can be used as a rapid tool to measure the in vivo drug activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, México D.F. 14269, México.
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palomares-Alonso
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neuroinmunología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, México D.F. 14269, México.
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palencia Hernández
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, México D.F. 14269, México.
authors.forename: Irma Susana
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Rojas-Tomé
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, México D.F. 14269, México; Facultad de Química, Departamento de Farmacia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F. 04510, México. Electronic address: helgi@servidor.unam.mx.
authors.forename: Helgi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jung-Cook
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioterio, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F. 04510, México.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinzón-Estrada
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D003552:Cysticercus / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D011223:Praziquantel; D015766:Albendazole
keywords: Albendazole; Cysticidal drugs; In vivo efficacy; Murine cysticercosis; Praziquantel; Taenia crassiceps