CHEMOPROPHYLACTIC ACTIVITY OF FLUBENDAZOLE IN CYSTIC ECHINOCOCCOSIS

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

CHEMOTHERAPY

KARGER

Año: 2010 vol. 56 p. 386 - 392

0009-3157

Abstract Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important public health problem worldwide. Flubendazole, administered in tablets, has shown poor in vivo efficacy against CE in humans. However, flubendazole prepared as a solution caused a marked reduction in hydatid cysts developed in mice. The goal of the current work was to compare the chemoprophylactic effect of flubendazole formulated either as a hydroxipropyl-â-cyclodextrin solution or as a carboxymethylcelullose suspension in secondary CE in mice. Methods: Balb/c mice were infected with E. granulosus protoscoleces. One day after infection the animals were allocated into three (3) different experimental groups: unmedicated control and treated at the time point of infection with flubendazole either prepared as a solution or suspension given twice a day during 15 days. Six months (6) post-infection, the animals were sacrificed to collect and weight parasite cysts. Cyst samples recovered from infected mice of each experimental group were prepared for both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Results: Both flubendazole formulations induced a significantly reduction in cysts weight compared to those recovered from the unmedicated control animals. Both formulations showed similar flubendazole-induced ultrastructural morphological changes.  Conclusion: Flubendazole offers a great potential to become a drug of choice in the preventive treatment of cystc echinococcosis.