Augmented bioavailability and cysticidal activity of albendazole reformulated in soybean emulsion in mice infected with Echinococcus granulosus or Echinococcus multilocularis

The anthelminthic drug, albendazole (Abz), was reformulated in a soybean oil emulsion and evaluated as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis in mice. Abz emulsified with 30% soybean oil (AbzE-30) resulted in higher circulating plasma concentrations of the major bioactive Abz metabolite, Abz sulfoxide (AbzSOX), after oral administration, compared with an Abz suspension. The soybean oil-emulsified Abz compound was also noted to penetrate into the hydatid cyst wall and produced higher hydatid cyst concentrations of AbzSOX. The emulsion was superior to Abz suspension in reducing the size of hydatid cysts caused by E. granulosus protoscolices collected from naturally infected sheep in Urumchi, Xinjiang Uygar Autonomous Region. In contrast, the reformulated compound's ability to reduce E. nuiltilocularis cyst masses was only marginally superior to Abz suspension. AbzE-30 exhibited increased bioavailability and bioactivity in the treatment of murine Echinococcus hydatid cyst infections. The compound has the potential for improving therapeutic outcomes for human echinococcosis. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.