ALBENDAZOLE TREATMENT AND LIVER FIBROSIS IN MICE INFECTED WITH MESOCESTOIDES VOGAE (SYN. CORTI) TETRATHYRIDIA (CESTODA) - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

The efficacy of 10 doses of albendazole (ABZ) administered to mice dur ing different periods post-infection (p. i.) was calculated and assess ed in the light of the. process of liver fibrogenesis. The highest eff icacy of subcurative doses of ABZ was achieved after treatment between days 3-12 p. i. When the drug was given to mice after the initiation of liver fibrosis and when collagen was evident around the tetrathyrid ia, the efficacy of drug in the livers decreased. The late treatment ( days 23-32 p. i.) resulted in a further decline in the larvicidal effe ct of ABZ on liver tetrathyridia. In contrast, in the peritoneal cavit y the efficacy of ABZ increased with time p. i., in spite of increasin g numbers of tetrathyridia. The mean number of damaged/resorbing larva e in either treated group correlated with the efficacy. Thus, after ea rly treatment there was slightly decreased collagen deposition in the liver paraenchyma in comparison with the control group. These data ind icate that at this drug regime the most important factor to have impac t on efficacy was the stage of fibrous encapsulation around the tetrat hyridia. The fibrous capsules serve as a mechanical barrier to further migration and damage by the parasites, while, gt the same time, they limit the availability of active ABZ-SO to the encapsulated tetrathyri dia.