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

J Helminthol. 2011 Mar;85(1):92-9. doi: 10.1017/S0022149X10000337. Epub 2010 Jun 29.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Albendazole / administration & dosage
  • Albendazole / therapeutic use*
  • Angiostrongylus cantonensis / drug effects*
  • Angiostrongylus cantonensis / pathogenicity
  • Animals
  • Antinematodal Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antinematodal Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Body Weight
  • Chemokine CCL11
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Eosinophils / cytology
  • Flavanones / administration & dosage
  • Flavanones / therapeutic use*
  • Larva / drug effects
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Male
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / metabolism
  • Meningitis / drug therapy*
  • Meningitis / mortality
  • Meningitis / parasitology
  • Mice
  • Strongylida Infections / drug therapy*
  • Strongylida Infections / mortality
  • Strongylida Infections / parasitology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antinematodal Agents
  • Ccl11 protein, mouse
  • Chemokine CCL11
  • Flavanones
  • baicalein
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
  • Albendazole