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Scolicidal and apoptotic activities of albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfoxide-loaded PLGA-PEG as a novel nanopolymeric particle against Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces

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Abstract

Treatment failures of human cystic echinococcosis (CE) with albendazole (ABZ) have attributed to its low solubility and poor drug absorption rate, resulting in low drug level in plasma. The scolicidal effects of ABZ-loaded liposome nanoparticles have recently evaluated; however, these particles have several challenges due to their low encapsulated load. This investigation was designed to evaluate and compare in vitro apoptotic activities of ABZ sulfoxide (ABZs) and ABZs-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-PEG against protoscoleces (PSCs). ABZs-loaded PLGA-PEG was prepared by a double-emulsion method (W1/O/W2). Various concentrations of ABZs and ABZs-loaded PLGA-PEG (50, 100, 150, and 200 μg/ml) were experimentally tested against PSC of CE at different exposure times (5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min). ABZs-loaded PLGA-PEG at concentrations of 150 and 200 μg/ml was able to act at a 100 % scolicidal rate in all exposure times (5 to 60 min), while ABZs at a concentration of 200 μg/ml demonstrated 94, 100, and 100 % mortality rates following 20, 30, and 60 min of exposure times, respectively. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of caspase-3 was assessed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR after 15 h of exposure. Caspase-3 mRNA expression was higher in both PSC treated with ABZs and PSC treated with ABZs-loaded PLGA-PEG than that in control groups (P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between the apoptotic intensity of PSC treated with ABZs and that of PSC treated with ABZs-loaded PLGA-PEG (P > 0.05). DNA fragmentation assay and ultrastructural changes revealed that ABZs and ABZs-loaded PLGA-PEG induced the apoptosis of PSC by activation of caspase-3. The higher permeability and scolicidal rate of ABZs-loaded PLGA-PEG can be addressed as an effectual alternative strategy to improve the treatment of human CE.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, for all the support provided. This is a report of a database from the thesis entitled “Scolicidal and apoptotic activities of albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfoxide-loaded PLGA-PEG as a novel nanopolymeric particle against Echinococcus granulosus PSC” registered in the Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (Grant Thesis No. 93/2-6/17).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Marziyeh Naseri, Abolfazl Akbarzadeh & Adel Spotin

  2. Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Nagibeh Asl Rahnemaii Akbari, Mahmoud Mahami-Oskouei & Ehsan Ahmadpour

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  1. Marziyeh Naseri
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  2. Abolfazl Akbarzadeh
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  3. Adel Spotin
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  4. Nagibeh Asl Rahnemaii Akbari
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  5. Mahmoud Mahami-Oskouei
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  6. Ehsan Ahmadpour
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Correspondence to Adel Spotin.

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Naseri, M., Akbarzadeh, A., Spotin, A. et al. Scolicidal and apoptotic activities of albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfoxide-loaded PLGA-PEG as a novel nanopolymeric particle against Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces. Parasitol Res 115, 4595–4603 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-5250-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-5250-8

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