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 lang="EN-AU"><span style="color:black">Despite using 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 (E.) granulosus</i> protoscoleces.</span></span><span lang="EN-ID"><span style="color:black"></span></span><br> <b><span style="background:#1f497d"><span style="color:white"><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">Materials and Methods:</span></span></span></b> <span lang="EN-AU"><span style="color:black">Hydatid cysts were collected from the livers of infected sheep at the Zanjan slaughterhouse, and protoscoleces were aspirated from the fertile cysts.</span></span> <span lang="EN-AU"><span style="color:black">The viability of the collected parasites was determined using methylene blue exclusion test. Subsequently, the protoscoleces were treated for 48 hr 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 protoscoleces, the TUNEL assay and DAPI staining were employed. Nuclear morphological changes were then examined under fluorescence microscope. The Kruskal&ndash;Wallis test in R software was used to compare the apoptotic rates among different groups.</span></span><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 lang="EN-AU"><span style="color:black">The highest apoptotic rate was observed in protoscoleces exposed to flubendazole-loaded nanoparticles at 10 &mu;g/mL concentration after 48 hr 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 style="color:black"></span><br> <b><span style="background:#1f497d"><span style="color:white"><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">Conclusion:</span></span></span></b> <span lang="EN-AU"><span style="color:black">Flubendazole-loaded mPEG-PCL nanoparticles exhibited greater apoptotic effects on <i>E. granulosus</i> protoscoleces compared to free flubendazole.</span></span></span></span></p> <div style="text-align: justify;"><p style="text-align: justify;"></p></div> Apoptosis, Cystic echinococcosis, Echinococcus granulosus, Flubendazole, Nanoparticles 420 430 http://ijmm.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2608-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Ali Haniloo hani@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460034346 100319475328460034346 No Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Kobra Rostamizadeh rostamizadeh@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460034347 100319475328460034347 No Zanjan Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Mehdi Farhadi mfarhadi@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460034348 100319475328460034348 Yes Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Saeid Amanloo s.amanloo@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460034349 100319475328460034349 No Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran