Efficacy of levamisole-loaded nanoparticles in the treatment of Trichinella spiralis infection in mice

ABSTRACT Trichinosis still poses a threat to both humans and animals. The current study compared the efficacy of levamisole medication loaded on polylactic acid nanoparticles (PLANs) to albendazole in treating intestinal and encapsulated muscle larvae of murine Trichinella spiralis infection. The mice were categorized into two main groups which further divided into four subgroups including: the infected control group, the infected group treated with PLANs, levamisole-loaded PLANs, and albendazole. The mice were all infected orally with 250 T. spiralis larvae. A notable and significant increase in the levels of ALT, AST, ALP, TP, and GGT were observed in the groups infected with 250 T. spiralis larvae and slaughtered at both 7- and 32-days post-infection, illustrating the altered biochemical reactions to the invasion of T. spiralis isolates against the treated subgroups. Changes that showed at 32 dpi revealed the presence of large numbers of cystic T. spiralis larvae scattered in the sarcoplasm and many chronic inflammatory cells. The histopathological finding on the seventh dpi revealed the presence of adult worm sections within the mucosa along with chronic inflammatory cells infiltrating the mucosa and submucosa. In conclusion, a noticeable improvement was observed in T. spiralis infected mice using PLANs.