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Acute Anisakiasis: Pharmacological Evaluation of Various Drugs in an Animal Model

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Abstract

Background

The accidental ingestion of the third larval stage of Anisakis can cause acute clinical symptoms, which are relieved via extraction of the larvae. Although this is a highly effective technique, it can only be practiced when the larvae are found in accessible areas of the gastrointestinal tract, and therefore instead the condition has often been treated using various different drugs.

Aims

This study evaluates the effectiveness of gastric acid secretion inhibitors (omeprazole and ranitidine), gastric mucosal protectants (sucralfate) and anthelmintics (mebendazole and flubendazole) in treating anisakiasis in Wistar rats.

Methods

Rats were infected with Anisakis-type I larvae and administered the drugs via a gastric probe. Data were recorded regarding the number of live and dead larvae, their location both within the animal and in its feces, and the presence of gastrointestinal lesions. Additionally, gastric pH was measured and histology performed.

Results

While rats in all experimental groups exhibited lesions; those treated with ranitidine and mebendazole showed significantly fewer lesions (50% and 35% of rats exhibited lesions, respectively). Histological examination of the gastric lesions revealed infection-induced changes, but no significant differences were observed between the treated and untreated rats.

Conclusions

Mebendazole was found to be most efficacious in preventing gastrointestinal lesions, followed by ranitidine, which was the most effective antacid of those studied. Both these drugs could thus be considered as part of the conservative management of anisakiasis.

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Acknowledgments

The results shown in this article are part of the doctoral thesis of Magdalena Gómez-Mateos Pérez.

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Groups grant from the Junta de Andalucía, Spain [BIO-243] and a Grant to M. Gómez-Mateos from CACOF (Andalucía).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Magdalena Gómez-Mateos, María Carmen Romero & Adela Valero

  2. Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Avenida de la Investigación 11, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Francisco Arrebola

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain

    María Concepción Navarro

  4. Pharmacy Services, University Hospital San Cecilio of Granada, Calle Dr. Olóriz, 16, 18012, Granada, Spain

    José María González

Authors
  1. Magdalena Gómez-Mateos
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  2. Francisco Arrebola
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  3. María Concepción Navarro
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  4. María Carmen Romero
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Correspondence to Magdalena Gómez-Mateos.

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Ethical approval

This study was approved by the ethics committee of University of Granada (approval CEE 294-2007). All procedures performed in studies comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and institutional guides on the care and use of laboratory animals.

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Gómez-Mateos, M., Arrebola, F., Navarro, M.C. et al. Acute Anisakiasis: Pharmacological Evaluation of Various Drugs in an Animal Model. Dig Dis Sci 66, 105–113 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06144-2

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