Imunomodulative effect of liposomized muramyltripeptide phosphatidylethanolamine (L-MTP-PE) on mice with alveolar echinococcosis and treated with albendazole.

The effect of liposomized muramyltripeptide phosphatidylethanolamine (L-MTP-PE) administered separately or with anthelmintic albendazole (ABZ) on cellular immunity of mice with alveolar echinococcosis was studied. The proliferative activity of splenic T and B lymphocytes was the most stimulated after combined L-MTP-PE + ABZ therapy [from weeks 8 to 14 post-infection (p.i.)] that also induced a long-term development of protective Th1 response (the highest serum concentration of IFN-gamma from weeks 8 to 18 p.i.). On the contrary, Th2 response (cytokine IL-5) in infected mice treated with L-MTP-PE was inhibited since week 8 p.i., but a significant long-term decrease in IL-5 concentration was found after combined L-MTP-PE+ABZ therapy until the end of the experiment (until week 26 p.i.). L-MTP-PE stimulated the production of superoxide anion (O2-) by peritoneal macrophages from weeks 8 to 12 p.i., but the highest O2- production was accordingly recorded after therapy L-MTP-PE+ABZ from weeks 8 to 18 p.i. Stimulation of cellular immunity of mice with alveolar echinococcis with L-MTP-PE and an interaction with ABZ's anti-parasitic effect resulted in the greatest and long-term reduction of growth of Echinococcus multilocularis cysts in the host from week 10 p.i. until the end of the experiment.