Mt Sinai J Med. 1989 Jan;56(1):53-5.
Albendazole in the conservative management of multiple hydatid disease.

Golematis B, Lakiotis G, Persidou-Golemati P, Bonatsos G.

Hydatid disease is quite common in Greece and is routinely treated by surgery. Nevertheless, multiple cysts constitute a difficult problem for treatment. Patients with multiple cysts have already undergone several operations, and their general condition may be poor. We investigated the effect of albendazole [a drug not FDA approved in the US], in the conservative management of multiple hydatid disease in 44 patients with a high antiechinococcal antibody titer who had already undergone two or three operations for the disease (21 men, mean age 51.05; 24 women, mean age 53.42). Albendazole was administered daily in a 10 mg/kg dose for 5 months to 33 patients and for 2 months to 11 patients. Cysts disappeared in 5 patients and decreased in size in 12 patients. Side effects included allergic shock (1 patient), reversible increase in SGOT and SGPT (3 patients), reversible fever and fall in leukocyte number (1 patient). We conclude that surgery remains the treatment of choice for this condition and that albendazole may have a place in the elimination of recurrence of the disease.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2784183&dopt=Abstract albendazole Albenza




Arch Neurol. 1988 Oct;45(10):1130-3.
Short course of albendazole therapy for neurocysticercosis.

Sotelo J, Penagos P, Escobedo F, Del Brutto OH.

Instituto Nacional de Neurologia-y Neurocirugia, Mexico City, DF.

Albendazole is now used for therapy of neurocysticercosis; however, duration of treatment has usually been empirically determined. In this study we shortened the length of therapy from one month in previous reports, to one week. Twelve patients with parenchymal brain cysticercosis were treated with albendazole for eight days at daily doses of 15 mg/kg of body weight. After three months of treatment the number of cysts on computed tomography had decreased from 185 to six; a 97% reduction in the number of lesions. Total remission of all cysts was seen in nine patients. Two cases had been unsuccessfully treated before with praziquantel, in both instances albendazole therapy was effective with 100% improvement. Our results indicated that a short course of albendazole is highly effective for treatment of neurocysticercosis.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3178533&dopt=Abstract albendazole Albenza




Zhongguo Ji Sheng Chong Xue Yu Ji Sheng Chong Bing Za Zhi. 1994;12(3):178-81.
[Pathological studies on alveolar hydatid in gerbils treated with albendazole and praziquantel]

[Article in Chinese]

Sheng Y, Zheng Q, Guo F, Liu B, Zhang J, Li Y.

Department of Pathology, Ningxia Medical College, Yinchuan.

Pathological changes in alveolar hydatids from experimentally infected gerbils were studied after administration of albendazole or praziquantel. The animals were divided into several groups including the control one, and drugs of different dosages were given separately to different groups with diverse durations of infection. According to the microscopical observation, the hydatids could be categorized into 3 grades: grade I, degenerated cysts; grade II, stable cysts (showing no proliferation); grade III, proliferated cysts. Larger proportion of grade I cysts were found in the group treated with albendazole at high dosage (33.3%) and the two groups treated with praziquantel (25.0% and 16.3%). The proportion of grade I cysts in gerbils with shorter duration (45 d) of infection was larger than those with longer duration (60 d). Lymphocyte infiltration to various extent was present surrounding the alveolar hydatid cysts in all the treated groups. More marked infiltration of lymphocytes was observed in albendazole treated gerbils (106.9 +/- 34.3-300.1 +/- 59.5) (P < 0.001). However, the combined medication of albendazole and praziquantel was less efficacious.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7867150&dopt=Abstract albendazole Albenza




Trop Med Parasitol. 1994 Sep;45(3):209-13.
Macrofilaricidal activity of albendazole-ivermectin combination: histopathological evaluation of adult Molinema dessetae.

Duarte Z, Gantier JC, Gayral P.

Biologie et controle des Organismes Parasites, Faculte de Pharmacie, Universite de Paris XI, Chatenay Malabry, France.

The macrofilaricidal effect of albendazole in association with ivermectin was assessed in the rodent Proechimys oris, infected with Molinema dessetae. The drug combination was given to five rodents 190 days after infection. A similar group was used as control. The doses administered were 10 mg per kg for albendazole and 0.04 mg per kg for ivermectin over five days. The histological examination of intra-peritoneal nodules done six weeks after therapy revealed a clear-cut macrofilaricidal effect. The number of dead worms was significantly higher in the treated group. The histological examination revealed a lesion pattern that was related to the drug exposure. This consisted of nodules, each containing a necrotic worm that had its morphology preserved and was surrounded by a foreign body granuloma. This lesion was only seen in the treated group. A pattern related with the spontaneous death of worms was also observed. The results obtained here show the importance that albendazole-ivermectin combination could have in human filariasis therapy. Further studies in man should be done to confirm the macrofilaricidal effect of this drug combination in human filariasis.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7899789&dopt=Abstract albendazole Albenza




Int J Parasitol. 1994 Aug;24(5):695-703.
Evaluation of the effects of albendazole and metronidazole on the ultrastructure of Giardia duodenalis, Trichomonas vaginalis and Spironucleus muris using transmission electron microscopy.

Oxberry ME, Thompson RC, Reynoldson JA.

School of Veterinary Studies, Murdoch University, Australia.

The three closely related parasitic protozoa, Giardia duodenalis, Trichomonas vaginalis and Spironucleus muris, all have very different sensitivities to albendazole and metronidazole. Ultrastructural studies reveal that the cytoskeletal elements of the ventral disk in G. duodenalis are affected by albendazole, whereas the other two parasites, neither of which possess this structure, are not affected by albendazole to the same extent. This suggests that albendazole may be having its primary affect on G. duodenalis by binding to cytoskeletal proteins and ultimately causing death of the parasite. Death may be occurring as the parasite loses its ability to adhere to the intestinal villi and obtain nutrients. Metronidazole showed a different pattern of activity against the three parasites. The evidence obtained from these ultrastructural studies supports the current theory that metronidazole adversely affects protozoa by disrupting inner cell membranes.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7928072&dopt=Abstract albendazole Albenza




J Helminthol. 1994 Jun;68(2):161-6.
In vivo effect of sublethal concentrations of albendazole metabolites on the structure of the reproductive organs of Dictyocaulus viviparus.

Osman AM, Jacobs DE, Plummer JM.

Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College (University of London), Hatfield, Herts, UK.

Dictyocaulus viviparus were harvested from calves treated daily with albendazole at dose-rates sub-lethal to this parasite and from matched untreated calves. Male and female reproductive tracts from the worms were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. A first description of the testis of this nematode is provided. Cell division in the germinal zone of both male and female worms was arrested by in vivo exposure to albendazole metabolites and the cytoplasmic threads connecting the germinal cells to the rachis disappeared. In male worms from treated calves, the rachis was absent from the growth zone and severe ultrastructural damage of spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatozoa was apparent. In female worms, the rachis remained intact in the growth zone, obvious abnormalities being confined to the germinal zone, where the cytoplasm of the oogonia was disrupted and few nuclei seen, and to the uteri and ovijector which contained only undifferentiated ova. The detrimental effects of albendazole metabolites on male and female worms were quickly reversed after withdrawal of medication.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7930459&dopt=Abstract albendazole Albenza




Neurology. 1994 Sep;44(9):1706-9.
Prognostic factors for seizure recurrence after withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs in patients with neurocysticercosis.

Del Brutto OH.

Department of Neurology, Luis Vernaza Hospital, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

We tapered antiepileptic drugs in 40 patients with epilepsy due to neurocysticercosis who had been free of seizures for 2 years. All patients previously received a course of albendazole that resulted in complete destruction of brain cysts. We followed the patients prospectively from the time of diagnosis until 12 months after antiepileptic drug withdrawal. We evaluated the following prognostic factors for seizure recurrence: sex, number of seizures before control, type of seizures, number of parenchymal brain cysts before albendazole therapy, EEG findings, and CT findings after albendazole therapy. In the univariate analysis of prognostic factors for seizure recurrence, the development of brain calcifications caused by albendazole was the only factor associated with a significantly higher rate of relapse (p = 0.004). The multivariate analysis showed that patients who had both recurrent seizures and multiple brain cysts also had a higher risk of relapse than those with single seizures or single cysts (p = 0.05). This study suggests that the prognosis of epilepsy due to neurocysticercosis is not as benign as previously thought. Patients with residual calcifications and those with both recurrent seizures and multiple cysts before albendazole therapy have the highest rate of relapse after withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7936301&dopt=Abstract albendazole Albenza