Evaluation of the flubendazole-nitazoxanide combination against cystic echinococcosis in mice

CEBALLOS L, ELISSONDO C, DENEGRI G, SANCHEZ BRUNI S, LANUSSE C, ALVAREZ L

Rosario, Santa Fe

Congreso; XLI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Farmacología Experimental; 2009

SAFE

Flubendazole (FLBZ) and nitazoxanide (NTX) are broad spectrum anthelmintic compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the plasma pharmacokinetic (PK) behaviour and clinical efficacy of a FLBZ-NTX combination against cystic echinococcosis developed in mice. PK study: Balb/C mice (n= 20) were allocated into two groups and treated with FLBZ (5 mg/kg) either alone or co-administered with  NTX (100 mg/kg). Blood samples were collected up to 12 h post treatment and plasma analyzed for FLBZ/metabolites by HPLC. Efficacy study: Infected Balb/C mice (n= 40) with eight months of cyst development were divided into four groups: Untreated control; FLBZ alone treatment; FLBZ+NTX treatment and NTX alone treated group. All treatments were performed orally during 25 days as follows:  FLBZ 5 mg/kg, twice a day and NTX 100 mg/kg, once daily. After treatment, all animals were killed and the weight of the cysts collected from each animal was recorded. FLBZ kinetics was unaffected by the presence of NTX. FLBZ alone or combined with NTX induced a reduction (P<0.05) on cyst weight in comparison to those collected from untreated control and NTX alone treated mice. The data obtained here indicate that NTX do not affect hydatid cyst development in mice. Conversely, FLBZ shows an excellent efficacy against cystic echinococcosis.