An experimental model of liver echinococcosis in laboratory rats to study the effectiveness of anthelmintic drugs

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The introduction into clinical practice of drug therapy with anthelmintic drugs from the carbamate-benzimidazole group has reduced the need for aggressive surgical interventions in the initial stages of parasitic cyst development. However, no consensus has been reached in which cases and for what size of cysts the use of monotherapy with carbamate benzimidazoles will be sufficient and in which cases a combination of surgical and therapeutic treatment methods is necessary. Experimental studies with human participants are impossible to solve this problem. AIM: To evaluate the proximity of the developed experimental model of liver echinococcosis to real clinical practice, including the response to the use of carbamate benzimidazoles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Modeling of liver echinococcosis in laboratory animals was performed by suturing a part of an echinococcal bladder (Echinococcus granulosus) to the liver capsule. The model provides a high survival percentage of laboratory animals, in which after 60 days a typical hydatid cyst forms in the liver. The effects of albendazole and praziquantel were studied using this echinococcus model. One group of animals (n = 10) received albendazole through an intragastal tube for 28 days and the other (n = 10) received praziquantel for 15 days, after which the animals were autopsied. RESULTS: When using albendazole, destructive changes were microscopically determined in the structure of the walls of the echinococcal cyst on day 28 of therapy. Similar changes were observed when using praziquantel; however, they were characterized by more massive cellular infiltration of all cyst layers. CONCLUSIONS: The developed experimental model of liver echinococcosis in laboratory animals allowed us to experimentally examine the effect of various drugs on the larval stages of E. granulosus development and evaluate their effectiveness.