Effect Of Tetramethylpyrazine Combined With Albendazole On The Secondary Echinococus Multilocularis In Mice

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of Tetramethylpyrazine(TMP), a Chinese herb medicine, and co-administration of TMP with albendazole(ABZ) on the secondary Echinococcus Multilocularis in mice, to seek for a new way of treating Echinococcus Multilocularis.Methods: Hydatid cysts tissue were taken from the belly cavity of mice with secondary Echinococcus Multilocularis, then cut into smash and prepared 20 ml suspension using 0.9% NaCL containing 1000U/ml penicillin and streptomycin respectively and 0.15/0.75 mg dexamethasone . 36 healthy mice were used in this study, 31 mice were infected with an i.p. of the suspension, 0.5ml each animal. The mice infected with hydatid cysts were divided into 5 groups: TMP25 mg/kg.d group (n=8) , ABZ50 mg/kg.d group (n=8), the co-administration of TMP25 mg/kg.d and ABZ25 mg/kg.d group (n=9). The infected mice were treated with the drugs for 60 days successively. 6 mice as control group and the other 5 as blank group. The major criteria for evaluating the therapeutic effects including the loss of cyst tissue wet weight, inhibition rate, spleen index, histopathological examination of the cysts by light microscopy and electron-microscopy. TNF-αand SOD were detected in serum by radio-immunity labeling techniques. To take hepatic tissues from each mouse at the end of study, then prepare homogenate and detect concentration of NO and NOS by chromatometry in order to observe whether TMP lighten the damage of ABZ to hepatic function.Results: The effect against growth of the cysts were observed obviously in all treated groups, and the inhibition rate was 66.71%, 85.59% and 95.44% in TMP25mg/ kg.d group, ABZ50 mg/kg.d group, the co-administration of TMP25 mg/kg.d and ABZ25 mg/kg.d group, respectively. Among them, the co-administration showed much better effect than the single medication groups. The mean wet weight of hydatid cysts from mice in all treated groups decreased significantly than that from mice in the control group (p<0.01). The cysts wall tissue and cells showed abnormal change and damage microscopic to a different extent in those treated groups, especially in co-administration group. Compared with mice in blank group, spleen index serum level of TNF-a were increased significantly in mice from the control group (p<0.01). After treating, spleen index,serum level of TNF-a were decreased significantly, there was a significant difference between these groups and the control group (p<0.05). The NO content and NOS activity in the hepatic tissue decreased (p<0.05) While the level of SOD in serum increased (p<0.05).Conclusion: TMP had definite inhibitory action to growing of hydatid cysts in mice. Especially the combination with ABZ had stronger inhibitory action. It could enhance immunity of mice and improve hepatic function of mice. It could eliminate the side action of ABZ. This indicate that TMP could strengthen ABZ's effect and had synergetic action with ABZ against echinococcosis...