ECHINOCOCCUS-GRANULOSUS - ISOPRINOSINE TREATMENT OF THE METACESTODE STAGE

The efficacy of short- and long-term treatments with Isoprinosine(R), an immunomodulatory compound, was studied in Echinococcus granulosus c ysts developed in NMRI mice intraperitoneally infected with sheep pulm onary cysts. After treatment, a reduction in the size and number of cy sts with macroscopic modifications was observed. The structural altera tions included damage or destruction of the protoscoleces and partial destruction of the cyst wall, which predominated at the inner germinal layer level. The efficacy of this drug was evaluated after long-term and short-term treatment. Short-term treatment with a dose of 1 g/kg/d ay gave better results, with a loss of infectivity of the larval tissu e. The well-tolerated long-term treatment with a dose of 2 g/kg/day sh owed the absence of toxicity of this compound. The survival time of tr eated animals was greater than that of untreated controls.