Technetium-99m labeled Mebendazole and biodistribution in experimentally Trichinella spiralis-infected rats

The aim of this study was to localize the biodistribution of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) Mebendazole in experimentally Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis)-infected rats. Localizing and distinguishing the "T. spiralis" in body sites are very important and life saving processes. Scintigraphic detections may help to determine the sites of trichinellosis infection. Twelve healthy female Wistar rats were infected via oral administration of infected muscle containing 750 to 1000 larvae. In this study, the antibiotic was labeled with Tc-99m, and Tc-99m-Mebendazole was assessed as an infection imaging agent in a rat model. Tc-99m-mebendazole was examined for localizing the normal, and inflamed with trichinellosis in rat muscle tissues after administrated Tc-99m-mebendazole via intravenous (IV) or oral gastric catheter, and also for differentiating them from each other. Tc-99m labeled mebendazole was retained in infectious areas. It was established that Tc-99m-mebendazole which was administrated via IV route has high organ restrain level. It was observed that Tc-99m-mebendazole uptake was high in tongue and diaphragm muscles of T. spiralis-infected rats after administration of radiolabeled mebendazole via either oral or IV routes. This study may be viewed as a basement of future studies on diagnosis of T. spiralis infection