en اثر ترکیبی فلوبندازول و پرازوکوانتل بر روی اکینوکوکوس گرانولوزوس Protoscoleces و میکروسیست ها Medical Biology Medical Biology مقاله پژوهشی Original Research Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#008080;"><strong>Background and objectives: </strong></span>Benzimidazoles such as albendazole are being used in some conditions to treat the hydatid disease, the common parasitic infections of humans and livestock that caused by <em>Echinococcus granulosus</em>. However, treatment with these drugs is not always with complete success. In this study we evaluate the <em>in vitro</em> efficacy of flubendazole (FLBZ) plus praziquantel (PZQ) against <em>E. granulosus </em>protoscoleces and microcysts.<br> <span style="color:#008080;"><strong>Materials and methods:</strong> </span>Viable and aseptically cultured protoscoleces were treated for 17 days with 5 &micro;g/ml FLBZ, 1 &micro;g/ml PZQ and a combination of both drugs. The viability of protoscoleces was assessed daily by microscopic observation and eosin test. Experiment was repeated three times and drug efficacies were presented as the mean value of protoscoleces viability rate. Developed microcysts from continues cultivation of protoscoleces were subjected to this treatment as same as protoscoleces, for 21 days. Structural changes of microcysts were visualized by inverted and transmission electron microscopy.<br> <span style="color:#008080;"><strong>Results: </strong></span>The most protoscolicidal efficacy was significantly detected in the culture treated with the combination of FLBZ and PZQ, so that all protoscoleces were killed in the nine days post-treatment. Meanwhile, 21.7&plusmn;9.5% and 30.8&plusmn;5.3% of protoscoleces that incubated with the FLBZ or PZQ alone were still viable, respectively. Degenerative changes occurred in microcysts on four days of co-treatment with the drugs, while these occurred on six and eight days with FLBZ or PZQ alone, respectively.<br> <span style="color:#008080;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> </span>This study indicates the favorable combined effect of the FLBZ and PZQ against <em>E. granulosus</em> protoscoleces and microcysts <em>in</em> <em>vitro</em>.</div> Echinococcus granulosus, Protoscolex, Microcyst, Flubendazole, Praziquantel 34 40 http://journal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-135-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Ali Pezeshki علی پزشکی apezeshki@zums.ac.ir 5200319475328460047292 5200319475328460047292 No Dept. of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Samira Lorestani سمیرا لرستانی samira68@gmail.com 5200319475328460047293 5200319475328460047293 No Dept. of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Negin Torabi نگین ترابی torabin@zums.ac.ir 5200319475328460047294 5200319475328460047294 No Dept. of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Ali Haniloo علی هانیلو hani@zums.ac.ir 5200319475328460047295 5200319475328460047295 Yes Dept. of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran