Radiotherapy for the treatment of pulmonary hydatidosis in sheep

Hydatidosis is an endemic disease causing a severe threat to public health. Drugs and surgery have been utilized for treatment, but their efficiency is not adequate. Therefore, new methods are required for treating such diseases. In this study, we attempt to evaluate the efficiency of radiotherapy for hydatidosis in sheep. The sheep naturally infected with pulmonary hydatid were randomly divided into four groups, including the control group subjected to no irradiation and the other three groups subjected to 30, 45, and 60 Gy irradiation, respectively. Gene expression of caspase-3 and gadd45a and protein expression of BCL-2 and BAX in the lung tissues were evaluated after treatment. Our data showed that the irradiation with a dose of 30, 45, and 60 Gy significantly induced the expression of caspase-3 and gadd45a. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the BCL-2 protein was downregulated after exposure to 45 Gy of irradiation, whereas the BAX expression was downregulated after irradiation at a dose of 45 and 60 Gy, respectively. On this basis, we speculated that 45 Gy might be a safe and effective dose for treating pulmonary hydatidosis in sheep, which induced lower expression of caspase-3 and gadd45a in the cyst and a downregulation of BCL-2 and BAX in the adjacent lung tissues.