K. Yoshimura et al., THE EFFECT OF CYCLOSPORINE-A ON ANGIOSTRONGYLUS-CANTONENSIS INFECTIONAND EOSINOPHILIA IN MICE, International journal for parasitology, 23(8), 1993, pp. 997-1003
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.