EFFECT OF COMBINED THERAPY WITH ANTHELMINTICS AND AN IMMUNOMODULATOR ON THE ELIMINATION OF THE MIGRATING TOXOCARA-CANIS LARVAE IN THE PARATENIC HOST

Efficacy of the anthelmintics fenbendazole and albendazole with the si multaneously administered immunomodulator glucan was investigated in t he inbred mice-females C(57)BL(6)/J experimentally infected with Toxoc ara canis. In mice treated on days 3 and 4 post-infection (p. i.) (hep atopulmonary phase of the migration), a significant reduction of the l arvae was caused by fenbendazole with glucan, mainly with its liposomi zed form. In mice treated on days 3-9 p. i. (myotropic-neurotropic pha se of the migration) a significant reduction of larvae in the musculat ure was found only after administration of albendazole in combination with liposomized glucan. In the brain of mice the larvae were signific antly reduced after treatment with anthelmintic alone and also equally reduced after combined therapy with drug and immunomodulator in both phases of the migration. The results show the important role of the li posomized immunomodulator glucan in the enhancement of the drug's effi cacy in the treatment of the paratenic host experimentally infected wi th T. canis.