Determination of minimum effective concentration of flubendazole in in vitro cultures of Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces

ELISSONDO M.C., DENEGRI G.

Tandil, Buenos Aires

Congreso; XL Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Farmacología Experimental; 2008

SAFE

In a previous work, we reported the in vitro effect of flubendazole (FLBZ) on E. granulosus protoscoleces (PSC). The aim of this work was to define the minimum concentration of flubendazole required to kill PSC in vitro. PSC were incubated with FLBZ at the following final concentrations: 0.1, 0.05, 0.01, 0.005, 0.003, 0.002 and 0.001 mg/ml. PSC incubated with culture medium containing DMSO were used as controls. Vitality was assessed every 6 days using the methylene blue exclusion technique and samples were taken for electron microscopy. During the first 20 days of culture, FLBZ at concentration of 0.001 mg/ml showed the same behavior that the control group. Later, the percentage of vitality diminished lightly, but no structural and ultrastructural alterations were observed. Higher concentrations produced a greater fall in vitality showing a dose-dependent effect at the lower assayed concentrations. Morphological changes included contraction of the soma region, formation of blebs, rostellar disorganization, loss of hooks and destruction of microtriches. In the current study we found FLBZ to be effective against E. granulosus PSC even at 0.002 mg/ml.