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. 2024 Sep 27:2024:4851392.
doi: 10.1155/2024/4851392. eCollection 2024.

Assessment of the Effects of Albendazole-Loaded Sulfonated Graphene Oxide on Echinococcus granulosus Protoscoleces: An In Vitro Investigation

Mohammad Reza Lashkarizadeh  1 , Mohammad Shafie'ei  2 , Mahdiyeh Lashkarizadeh  3 , Seyed Mohammad Mousavi  1 , Ghazaleh Sheibani  4 , Zahra Akbari  5 , Haniyeh Daneshafruz  6 , Ali Derakhshani  1 , Faham Khamesipour  7
Affiliations

Assessment of the Effects of Albendazole-Loaded Sulfonated Graphene Oxide on Echinococcus granulosus Protoscoleces: An In Vitro Investigation

Mohammad Reza Lashkarizadeh et al. J Trop Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: Due to Albendazole's relatively low efficacy and bioavailability, Echinococcosis has proven a challenge to manage successfully, with several studies investigating ways to improve the outcome, mainly showing mixed results. We, therefore, aimed to evaluate whether Sulfonated Graphene Oxide (S-GO), as nanocarriers, could improve the mentioned outcome.

Methods: Echinococcus protoscoleces were divided into four groups based on the agent they received, which comprised control, S-GO, Albendazole, and Albendazole-loaded S-GO (S-GO-Albendazole). Then, the Bax and Bcl-2 gene expression levels and the number of surviving protoscoleces in each group were determined.

Results: Bax gene expression increased by 121% in the 50 μg/ml concentration of the S-GO-Albendazole, while Bcl-2 gene expression decreased by 64%. Moreover, S-GO-Albendazole was approximately 18% more effective at neutralizing protoscoleces than Albendazole and 14% and 31% more effective at improving the expression of the mentioned genes, respectively (p < 0.05). In addition, the number of surviving protoscoleces after exposure to the mentioned concentration reduced by approximately 99%.

Conclusions: S-GO, despite not having significant lethality on protoscoleces, significantly increased the lethality of Albendazole and, therefore, is a suitable nanocarrier. However, we recommend conducting in vivo and clinical studies to more accurately determine this nanocomplex's potential and side effects.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Illustration of the study design.
Figure 2
Figure 2
FT-IR spectra of GO (a) and S-GO (b).
Figure 3
Figure 3
XRD patterns of S-GO.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Bax gene expression in the S-GO-ABZ, ABZ, S-GO, and control groups. However, only the increase in the S-GO-ABZ group was significant. Bars represent mean ± standard deviation (SD) from duplicate experiments. (∗P < 0.05, ∗∗P < 0.01, ∗∗∗P < 0.001) (Alb, Albendazole; Grph, S-GO).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Bcl-2 gene expression in the S-GO-ABZ, ABZ, S-GO, and control groups. However, only the decrease in the GFN-ABZ was significant. (∗∗∗p < 0.05) (Alb, Albendazole; Grph, S-GO).
Figure 6
Figure 6
(a) The dead and (b) viable protoscoleces (PSCs) after treatment with S-GO-ABZ.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Number of viable protoscoleces (PSCs) after applying different concentrations of each agent in the S-GO-ABZ, ABZ, S-GO, and control groups. However, only the decreases in the S-GO-ABZ and ABZ groups were significant (p < 0.05).
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