THE EFFECT OF CYCLOSPORINE-A ON ANGIOSTRONGYLUS-CANTONENSIS INFECTIONAND EOSINOPHILIA IN MICE

Male BALB/c mice were infected with Angioslrongylus cantonensis and at various times p.i. treated with cyclosporin A (CsA) either for 5 days continuously or intermittently, or for 12-16 days on alternate days. They were monitored for peripheral blood eosinophilia and at necropsy examined for CSF and bone marrow eosinophilia, and worm recovery. CsA treatment provoked a transient inhibition of peripheral blood eosinoph ilia in all groups examined, followed by rebounding eosinophilia. Ther e was no significant difference in bone marrow and CSF eosinophilia be tween CsA- and vehicle-treated groups. Mice treated with CsA on altern ate days yielded lower intracranial worm recovery with small-sized wor ms at days 7, 21 and 30 p.i. than vehicle-treated groups did. No signi ficant reduction in worm recovery was noted in mice treated for 5 days either continuously or intermittently, although worms, especially fem ale ones, harvested from groups treated with CsA from days-1 to 3 or f rom days 13 to 17 were significantly smaller than those from vehicle-t reated groups. CsA-treatment suppressed blastogenic responses of splee n cells against Con A or worm antigen at days 7 and 21 p.i. In vitro t reatment of the 3rd stage larvae with CsA did not adversely influence survival of A. cantonensis in mice. These data indicate that CsA exert s anti-parasitic effects against A. cantonensis in mice.