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Efficacy of combined treatment with albendazole and baicalein against eosinophilic meningitis induced by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in mice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2010

Han-Jiang He
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control, the Ministry of Education, PR China Department of Parasitology, Xiang Nan University, Chenzhou 423000, PR China
Zhi-Yue Lv
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control, the Ministry of Education, PR China
Zheng-Yu Li
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control, the Ministry of Education, PR China
Li-Yan Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control, the Ministry of Education, PR China
Qi Liao
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control, the Ministry of Education, PR China
Huan-Qin Zheng
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control, the Ministry of Education, PR China
Wei-Yang Su
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
Shao-Qi Rao
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
Xin-Bing Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control, the Ministry of Education, PR China
Zhong-Dao Wu*
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control, the Ministry of Education, PR China
*
*Fax: (86) 02087331588 E-mail: wuzhd@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Abstract

Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans. Baicalein is a flavonoid originally isolated from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of the combination of albendazole and baicalein for treating eosinophilic meningitis in BALB/c mice. Therapeutic efficacy included the survival time, body weight, neurological function, leucocyte and eosinophil counts, eotaxin concentration, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity, larval recovery and histopathological examination. The results showed that the combination of albendazole and baicalein was more effective than either drug administered singly. Combination therapy increased the survival time, decreased body weight loss, neurological dysfunction, leucocyte response, eotaxin concentration and MMP-9 activity. Our results suggest that the combination of albendazole and baicalein may exhibit synergistic beneficial effects in the treatment of eosinophilic meningitis induced by A. cantonensis.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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