en انگل شناسی پزشکی Medical Parasitology مقاله پژوهشی Original Research Article <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b><span style="background:#1f497d"><span style="color:white"><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">Background and Aim:</span></span></span></b><span style="color:black">&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="line-height:150%">Despite the use of various drugs, none have proven fully effective in treating cystic echinococcosis. This study aimed to evaluate the apoptotic effects of flubendazole-loaded mPEG-PCL nanoparticles on <i>Echinococcus granulosus</i> protoscoleces.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b><span style="background:#1f497d"><span style="color:white"><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">Materials and Methods:</span></span></span></b><span style="color:black"> </span></span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="line-height:150%">In May 2018, hydatid cysts were collected from the livers of infected sheep at the Zanjan slaughterhouse, and protoscoleces were aspirated from the fertile cysts. The viability of the collected parasites was determined using the methylene blue (0.1%) exclusion test. Subsequently, the protoscoleces were treated for 48 hours with flubendazole-loaded mPEG-PCL nanoparticles at final concentrations of 5 and 10 &mu;g/mL, as well as with free flubendazole at the same concentrations. To assess apoptosis in the protoscoleces, the TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labe</span></span><span style="line-height:150%">l</span><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="line-height:150%">ing) and DAPI (4&prime;,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) methods were employed. Nuclear morphological changes were then examined under a fluorescence microscope. The Kruskal&ndash;Wallis test was used to compare apoptotic rates among the groups.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="color:black"> </span><br> <b><span style="background:#1f497d"><span style="color:white"><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">Results:</span></span></span></b><span style="color:black"> </span></span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="line-height:150%">The highest apoptotic rate was observed in protoscoleces exposed to flubendazole-loaded nanoparticles at a concentration of 10 &mu;g/mL after 48 hours of incubation, reaching 63 &plusmn; 6.55%. In contrast, free flubendazole at the same concentration induced apoptosis in 42.66 &plusmn; 5.68% of protoscoleces.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b><span style="background:#1f497d"><span style="color:white"><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">Conclusion:</span></span></span></b><span style="color:black">&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="line-height:150%">Flubendazole-loaded mPEG-PCL nanoparticles exhibited greater apoptotic effects on <i>Echinococcus granulosus</i> protoscoleces compared to free flubendazole.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"></p> Echinococcus granulosus, Cystic Echinococcosis, Apoptosis, Nanoparticles, Flubendazole 4 4 http://ijmm.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2608-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Ali Haniloo hani@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460033892 100319475328460033892 No Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Kobra Rostamizadeh rostamizadeh@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460033893 100319475328460033893 No Zanjan Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Mehdi Farhadi mfarhadi@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460033894 100319475328460033894 Yes Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Saeid Amanloo s.amanloo@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460033895 100319475328460033895 No Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran