In vitro scolicidal effect of bee venom on Echinococcus granulosus protoscolices

Abstract EN

Hydatid disease has significant economic and health impacts in many parts of the world including Egypt and the Middle East.

Surgery remains the most efficient treatment, however, dissemination of protoscolex-rich fluid during surgery is a major cause of recurrence.

Instillation of a scolicidal agent into hydatid cysts is the most commonly employed measure to prevent this complication.

To date, various scolicidal agents have been tried with varying success.

Many of these scolicidal agents may cause unacceptable side effects.

The present study investigated the scolicidal effect of bee venom (BV) on Echinococcus granulosus protoscolices.

Protoscolices were incubated with 50ppm and 100ppm BV for 30 minutes and scolicidal effect was assessed by motility, eosin exclusion test, morphological and ultrastructural alterations by light microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).

Apoptosis was determined by caspase-3 immunohistochemistry.

Protoscolices incubated with 50ppm BV showed decreased viability by eosin exclusion test while those incubated with 100ppm BV showed a 100% death rate.

BV caused distinct alterations in the morphology of protoscolices by both light microscopy and TEM and the expression of caspase-3 in protoscolices incubated with BV was significantly high.

The results of the present study suggested that BV can be a very promising scolicidal agent and further studies on its effects and safety in experimental animals are recommended.