INFLUENCE OF ANTIINFLAMMATORY TREATMENTS ON EXPERIMENTAL-INFECTION OFRATS WITH FASCIOLA-HEPATICA - CHANGES IN SERUM LEVELS OF INFLAMMATORYMARKERS DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF FASCIOLIASIS

Anti-inflammatory treatments with dexamethasone, indomethacin or aspir in shortly before or immediately after the experimental infection of r ats with Fasciola hepatica resulted in an increase in the rats' burden of adult flukes, suggesting that the inflammatory system played an ac tive part in the rats' immune defence against invasive F hepatica. An anti-parasitic effect of cyclosporin A on F hepatica infection in rats was also demonstrated. A weekly study of various inflammatory markers (acute phase proteins, leucocytes and platelets) demonstrated that no inflammatory reaction had occurred after the first two weeks of infec tion, but that there was a significant increase in acute phase protein s after three and four weeks. These increases indicated that a chronic inflammatory reaction, associated with liver damage and an increasing eosinophilia, had occurred.