Avaliação genotóxica de líquido de vesícula e extrato salino da forma metacestódea de Taenia solium e de agentes antiparasitários benzimidazólicos

Abstract

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common parasitic disease of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by cysticerci of the helminth Taenia solium, which is prevalent in developing countries and re-emerging in affluent societies. This helminth has been associated with brain tumours and haematological malignancies in humans. The possible mechanisms leading to carcinogenesis include: parasite-induced immunosuppression; transfer of genetic material between parasite and host; chronic inflammation; cell transformation by factors secreted by T. solium metacestode and production of nitric oxide and other species reactive of oxygen with genotoxic potential causing either DNA damage as chromosome aberrations. In addition, the benzimidazoles agents using in the treatment of NCC and others parasitic diseases affect mitosis, chromosome number, spindle function and microtubule structure. The aim of this study was to analyze the genotoxicity of a saline extract (SE) and vesicular fluid (VF) of T. solium metacestodes and benzimidazoles agents [albendazole (ABZ), cambendazole (CBZ), mebendazole (MBZ) and tiabendazole (TBZ)] in the Drosophila melanogaster wing somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART). Third-instar larvae derived from standard (ST) and high bioactivation (HB) crosses were treated for approximately 48 hours with different concentrations (12.5; 25.0 and 50.0 µg/mL) of SE and VF of T. solium metacestode and (50; 75 and 100%) of ABZ, CBZ, MBZ and TBZ. The results obtained shown that the VF and SE were genotoxic in both crosses and that no statistically significant differences in spot frequencies between controls and treated series of the benzimidazoles agents were observed. The experiments suggest that, under these experimental conditions, the VF and SE of T. solium metacestode is genotoxic, but the compounds ABZ, CBZ, MBZ and TBZ is not genotoxic in somatic cells of D. melanogaster.