Abstract

We have previously demonstrated that intraperitoneal (i.p.) immunization of mice with glutaraldehyde-fixed trophozoites (GFT) of Entamoeba histolytica elicites strong local and systemic immune responses (1). One of the most common drugs used against a wide variety of anaerobic protozoan parasites and anaerobic bacteria is metronidazole, whose toxicity has been reviewed. The main side effects of metronidazole are headache, nausea, dry mouth, and metallic taste. Other more severe symptoms are experienced only occasionally (2). Although related chemicals have caused blood dyscrasias, only temporary neutropenia, reversible after discontinuation of therapy, occurs with metronidazole (3). Mebendazole is a versatile antihelminthic agent. Benzimidazoles produce many biochemical changes in susceptible nematodes; there is strong evidence, however, that the primary action of these drugs is to inhibit microtubule polymerization by binding to b -tubulin. Mebendazole does not cause significant systemic toxicity in routine clinical use, this probably resulting from its low systemic bioavailability. Rare side effects in patients treated with high doses of mebendazole include allergic reactions, alopecia, reversible neutropenia, agranulocytosis, and hypospermia (4). In a previous work (5), we analyzed by ELISA the antiamebic antibody response in the sera and intestinal samples of metronidazole–mebendazole pretreated, and nontreated GFT-immunized mice. We found that the GFT-immunized mice pretreated with metronidazole and mebendazole showed a significantly lower IgM and IgG serum response and a significant IgM and IgA response in intestinal fluids and supernatants of lamina propia lymphocytes from the large intestine than nontreated GFT i.p.-immunized mice. Moreover, we found that sera of metronidazole–mebendazole pretreated mice showed very low recognition of amebic proteins by Western blot. These data suggest that metronidazole and mebendazole treatment suppresses both the mucosal and systemic humoral immune response. The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of a 7-day 2.5 mg/per dose metronidazole and mebendazole (1:1) pretreatment in Balb/c mice immmunized i.p. with GFT by analyzing lamina propia lymphocyte supernatants from the small and large intestine and the systemic antiamebic immune response.

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