Filaricidal effects of cyclosporin-A against Dipetalonema viteae in Mastomys natalensis.

Outbred male Mastomys natalensis were injected subcutaneously with 100 infective larvae of Dipetalonema viteae obtained from Ornithodorus tartakovskyi. Groups of five animals were treated with 30 mg/kg of the immunosuppressive drug Cyclosporin-A daily for five days (experimental) or Miglyol 812 (control). One group served as untreated controls. Contrary to expectations, 60% of the animals were completely protected against D. viteae and the remainder were partially protected. The mechanism remains unknown.