Abstract
This study investigates the immune system response to infection with secondary hydatid cysts in BALB/c mice activated with lipopolysaccharide, extracted from Escherichia coli, and infected with protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus. The pathological changes occurred in the mice activated with LPS, were followed in comparison with the control group (mice infected with protoscoleces without activation with LPS) along the five months peroid of experiments , depending on certain criteria including changes in the means of total and differential count of WBCs. Results of the study revealed an increase in the rates of total count of WBCs, represented by an increase in the number of lymphocytes, decrease in the number of neutrophils and variation in the number of monocytes, in activated mice compared with the control group. In general, results of the present work provide another evidence that the lipopolysaccharide has modulated the immune defense of the host against infection with secondary hydatid cysts. Therefore, We support our previous findings that this lipopolysaccharide may well possess an immunomodulating activity in mice against infection with unilocular hydatid disease.