Abstract
Cystic echinococcosis is a neglected helminthic zoonosis caused by Echinococcus spp., mostly E. granulosus. Current chemotherapeutic treatment options are based on benzimidazoles; mainly albendazole (ABZ) which are of limited effectiveness. Therefore, new anti-echinococcosis treatment agents are needed. Nitazoxanide (NTZ) is a broad-spectrum drug against a wide variety of intestinal parasites. The current work aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ABZ, ABZ chitosan nanoparticles (ABZ/Cs NPs), NTZ and NTZ/Cs NPs in mice experimentally infected with E. granulosus. Swiss albino mice were inoculated intra-peritoneally with ~ 1000 protoscoleces harvested from hydatid cysts from slaughtered camels. Drugs were administered orally daily to mice subgroups as follows: ABZ (50 mg/kg/4 weeks), blank Cs NPs (30 mg/Kg/4 weeks), ABZ/Cs NPs (50 mg/kg/4 weeks), NTZ (200 mg /kg/ 14 days) NTZ/Cs NPs (200 mg/ kg /14 days) 16 weeks after infection. Drug efficacy was assessed by parasitological, morphological and histopathological studies on hydatid cysts collected from the studied groups. Results revealed that the studied treatments had variable efficacy. ABZ/Cs NPs showed higher anti-cystic activity relative to ABZ, NTZ, NTZ/ CSNPs. Survival time increased in subgroups treated with ABZ/Cs NPs and Cs NPs followed by NTZ/Cs NPs. Mice received ABZ and ABZ/Cs NPs showed the highest reduction of hydatid cysts in different organs. SEM revealed severe morphological changes mainly in subgroups receiving ABZ and ABZ/Cs NPs. It was concluded that chitosan nanoparticles could enhance the therapeutic efficacy of ABZ and NTZ in the treatment of cystic echinococcosis.