Nanodelivery of Nitazoxanide: Impact on the Metabolism of Taenia Crassiceps Cysticerci Intracranially Inoculated in Mice

Abstract

Aim: To formulate nanocapsules and nanoemulsions of nitazoxanide (NTZ) and evaluate the metabolic effect on Taenia crassiceps cysticerci inoculated intracranially into mice. Materials & methods: NTZ nanosystems were formulated through solvent diffusion methodology. These nanoformulations were administered perorally and their impact on glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and fatty acid metabolism in T. crassiceps cysticerci was investigated. Results: Gluconeogenesis and protein catabolism were significantly increased by the nanoformulations when compared with the control group and the NTZ-treated group. All the other metabolic pathways were inhibited by the nanoformulation treatments. Conclusion: The remarkable metabolic modifications that occur in this in vivo model through the application of these developed nanosystems confirm their capability to deliver NTZ into targeted tissues.

Keywords:

• energetic metabolism
• experimental neurocysticercosis
• nanosystems
• nitazoxanide

Acknowledgments

D Real thanks to CONICET (Argentina) for research scholarship. A Hemphill (University of Bern, Switzerland) is gratefully acknowledged for his interest in this work.

Financial & competing interests’ disclosure

The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance, the financial support and facilities from the National University of Rosario, Federal University of Goias and National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The study was authorized by the Ethics Committee in Animal Use of the Federal University of Goias (CEUA/UFG) (registration number 048/17). The experiments were done following the ethical principles for animal experimentation specified by the Brazilian Society of Laboratory Animal Sciences (Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência em Animais de Laboratório/SBCAL) and the Legislation for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (Directive 2010/63/EU). The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.