間質蛋白分解酵素-9 之活性與調控血腦障壁的開啟及免疫細胞的轉移進入中樞神經系統扮演重要之角色，先前的研究已發現在感染廣東住血線蟲的 ICR 小鼠腦部組織會有 Matrix metalloproteinases 家族中間質蛋白分解酵素-9 之表現，因此，間質蛋白分解酵素-9 被認為參與廣東住血線蟲感染造成的腦膜炎，雖然目前已有一些驅蟲藥可用於治療此寄生蟲病，但卻無法完全控制死亡蟲體引起免疫反應造成腦部之損傷。薑黃素是一種天然物，具有抗發炎、抗氧化和抗癌之特性，薑黃素可以抑制間質蛋白分解酵素-9 分泌以達到抗癌效果。因此，本研究主要探討以驅蟲藥 albendazoe 配合薑黃素合併治療感染廣東住血線蟲 之小鼠，我們期望合併藥物之治療能改善因感染廣東住血線蟲引發所造成的腦部傷害及神經病變。 結果發現，薑黃素可以減少血液和腦脊髓液嗜酸性白血球和蟲體的回收數以及稍微減少間質蛋白分解酵素-9 之表現，合併驅蟲藥 albendazole 和薑黃素可以完全治癒感染廣東住血線蟲之小鼠﹔因此，我們的結論是天然物薑黃素能有效抑制嗜酸性白血球和間質蛋白分解酵素-9 之表現，若合併驅蟲藥 albendazole 和薑黃素更能達到最佳效果。
The matrix metalloproteinase-9 ？] MMP-9？^plays an important role in controlling the opening of the blood brain barrier, and the transfer and entry of the immune cells into the CNS. Previous studies have already discovered the presence of MMP-9 in the brain of infected ICR mice and MMP-9 is related to meningitis caused by infection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Although some chemotherapy agents used for treating this parasite disease, can't control the immune response completely. A nature product, curcumin, which has the effects of anti-inflammation, and anti-carcinogensis, can inhibit MMP-9 secretion to achieve anti-carcinogensis. The study is designed to the trerapy of combination of albendazole and curcumin to treat the mice infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis . The implication of insect repellant albendazole and anti-inflammated drug curcumin can inhibit the secretion of MMP-9 in order to achieve the improvement of brain damage and nerve disorders caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection. The result of our study shows that curcumin may reduce the number of eosinophils in blood and CSF, the MMP-9 expression in the brain and worm recovery of mice infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The infected mice were cured after treatment of albendazole in combined of curcumin. In conclusion, curcumin can inhibit the expression of MMP-9 and eosinophil, the better effect had been found if combined with albendazole in treatment.
