蛋白分解酵素在廣東住血線蟲所引起的腦膜炎致病機黑心中扮演重要的解色。雖然抗蠕蟲藥albendazole能殺死感染腦部的廣東住血線蟲(Angiostrongylus cantonensis)幼蟲，但是被殺死的蟲體死時會引起腦部的發炎反應。根據過去的研究報告顯示非類固醇的抗發炎藥可能可以改善腦膜炎的症狀。因此，本研究以中國中草藥板蘭(banlangen)混合albendazole治療BALB/c鼷鼠感染廣東住血線蟲誘發之腦膜炎。本試驗分析療效的指標性因子包括：(1)組織病理學的改變；(2)蟲回收數；(3)嗜伊紅性白血球(eosinophil)計數；及(4)基質金屬蛋白－9(matrix metalloproteinase-9, MMP9)。這些結果顯示albendazole及板蘭根混合治療明顯改善廣東住血線蟲所誘發之腦膜炎，以板蘭根輔助albendazole及板蘭根混合治療明顯改善廣東住血線蟲所誘發之腦膜炎，以板蘭根輔助albendazole治療策略可以提供治療寄生蟲性腦膜炎的新方法。
The proteolytic enzyme system may play a role in the pathogenesis of angiostrongyliasis meningitis. Although the anthelmintic agent albendazole can kill the Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae that infect the brain, their dead larvae are capable of evoking a severe, inflammatory response in the brain. Administration of non-steroid anti inflammatory drugs have been reported to possibly relieve the symptoms of meningitis. Thus, this study evaluates the use of the traditional Chinese medicine banlangen in combination with albendazole as co-therapy for eosinophilic meningitis in BALB/c mice. Assay indicators for the therapeutic effect were (1) histopathological changes, (2) Worm recovery, (3)eosinophil counts, and (4) matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMp-9). We found that the albendazole-banlangen co-therapy significantly decreased these factors (P<0.05). The combined use of albendazole and banlangen to treat parasitic meningitis may be an effective new means of treating this disease.
