蛋白分解酵素在廣東住血線蟲所引起的腦膜炎致病機轉中扮演重要的角色。雖然抗蠕蟲葯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嚴重的發炎反應。根據過去的研究報告顯示非類固醇的抗發炎葯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根(banlangen)混合albendazole治療BALB╱c鼷鼠感染廣東住血線蟲誘發之腦膜炎。結果顯示albendazole及板蘭根混合治療明顯減少細胞激素TNF-α及IL-1β，然而增加訊息傳遞蛋白NF-κB，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 uses the traditional Chinese medicine banlangen in combination with albendazole as co-therapy for eosinophilic meningitis in BALB╱c mice. The results show that the albendazole-banlangen co-therapy significantly decreased (P<0.05) TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, however, increased the NF-kappaB. This therapeutic approach of albendazole-banlangen co-therapy may be a new methods for treating parasitic meningitis.
