Int J Parasitol. 2007 Nov 4 [Epub ahead of print]

Treatment with dehydroepiandrosterone in vivo and in vitro inhibits
reproduction, growth and viability of Taenia crassiceps metacestodes.

Vargas-Villavicencio JA, Larralde C, Morales-Montor J.

Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70228, 04510 México DF,
México.

The aim of this work was to explore the effect of
dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the establishment, growth and
reproduction
of the metacestode stage of the tapeworm Taenia crassiceps, both in vivo
and in vitro. Administration of DHEA prior to infection in mice of both
sexes reduced the parasite load by 50% compared with untreated mice. This
protective effect was not associated with the immune response, since there
was no effect of DHEA treatment on mRNA levels of IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-4 or
IL-10. DHEA treatment of infected mice increased androgen receptor
expression in splenocytes of both sexes. Moreover, in vitro treatment of
T.
crassiceps with DHEA reduced reproduction, motility and viability in a
dose- and time-dependent fashion. Results indicate that DHEA has strong
negative direct modulatory effects on murine cysticercosis.