title: In vivo evaluation of the efficacy of combined albedazole-IFN-α treatment for cystic echinococcosis in mice.
abstract: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a serious helminthic zoonosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus metacestode worldwide. The current chemotherapy of CE is mainly based on albendazole (ABZ). However, more than 20% CE cases failed to such chemotherapy. Thus, novel and more efficient treatment options are urgently needed. This study was to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of combined ABZ-interferon (IFN)-α treatment for CE in mice. After 5 months of secondary infection with protoscoleces, mice were randomly allocated into four groups: ABZ-treated group, IFN-α-treated group, ABZ+IFN-α group, and untreated control group. Drugs in diverse treated groups were respectively administered for 2 months. Mice were then euthanized and associated indications were investigated to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy. ABZ+IFN-α induced a significant reduction of the number, size, as well as weight of cysts, compared with that in the ABZ (p < 0.05) or untreated group (p < 0.01), respectively. This effect was associated with ultrastructural modification of the cyst in the ABZ+IFN-α group. Interestingly, significant decrease of IL (interleukin)-10 in serum and in vitro production by spleen cells with ABZ+IFN-α treatment was observed in comparison with untreated control (p < 0.01). Serum IgE, IgG, and subsets were respectively decreased in ABZ+IFN-α treatment, compared with that in the control group (p < 0.01). In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that combination of ABZ with IFN-α may contribute to an efficient therapeutic regimen of human and animal CE.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Baogang Hospital, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China.
authors.forename: Shengbin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Baogang Hospital, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China.
authors.forename: Yongsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Baogang Hospital, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China.
authors.forename: Lifu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Baogang Hospital, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogenic Biology and Medical Immunology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750004, China. wanghaograduate@nxmu.edu.cn.|Key Laboratory of Hydatid Disease, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750004, China. wanghaograduate@nxmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Baogang Hospital, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China. liubaoqin1977@163.com.
authors.forename: Baoqin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D015766:Albendazole
keywords: Albendazole; Cystic echinococcosis (CE); IFN-α; Il-10; Ultrastructural modification