Effect of Direct Electrical Current on Protoscoleces of Echinococcus Granulosus in vitro and on Immune Response of BALB/c Mice Against Infection with Secondary Hydatid Disease

Abstract

The present study investigated theeffect of the direct electrical current on the viability of the protoscolecesof Echinococcus granulosus in vitro using different voltages of electricalcurrent 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15, for different durations 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 minutes,and on the immune response in BALB/c mice against infection with secondaryhydatid cysts by injecting the mice with protoscoleces treated with directelectrical currents with viability 75%, 50%, 25% and 0%, in comparison with thecontrol group, through six months, depending on many criteria included numbers,weights and diameters of the hydatid cysts and the percentage of reduction oftheir numbers, non-specific immune response represented by changes in thephagocytic index and specific immune response represented by delayed typehypersensitivity test (DTHT).The results revealed that the effect of directelectrical current on protoscoleces viability in vitro increased with theincrease in voltage and exposure time. the reduction in the numbers of hydatidcysts in treated mice was 100% , in groups injected with treated protoscoleceswith viability 75%, 50% and 25%, respectively. A significant increase(p<0.01) in innate and cellular immune response in treated mice ,represented by elevation in the rates of phagocytic index and delayed type hypersensitivity(foot pad thickness).