The present work aimed at studying the efficacy of mebendazole (MBZ) compared to artemisinin (ART) for the treatment of trichinellosis at various phases of infection. Seventy Swiss albino mice were orally infected by 300 Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) larvae. Mice were divided into infected untreated control group and infected groups treated with 50 mg kg−1 MBZ and 300 mg kg−1 ART for three and five consecutive days, respectively, at the enteral phase [2–4 days post infection (PI)], invasive phase (10–12 days PI) and encapsulated phase (28–30 days PI). All mice were sacrificed 35–42 days PI. MBZ and ART revealed a significant decrease in mean larval counts and increase of larval per cent reduction (LR %) when treatment was initiated during the enteral phase compared to the other phases. MBZ showed significantly higher LR % (99.7, 83.95 and 89.65%) than ART (80.58, 67.0 and 79.2%) when administered at the three infection phases. Histopathological study showed a decrease in the number of encysted larvae, their surrounding cellular infiltrates and increased regenerative muscles in all treated mice. In conclusion, ART possesses a substantial anthelmintic activity against T. spiralis infection in mice both at the enteral and encapsulated phases, yet, significantly lower than MBZ.

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The digit of the donkey as a draught animal is commonly susceptible to much affection. The purpose of the present study was to provide a detailed anatomic reference of radiographic and computed tomographic images in conjunction with cross and sagittal sections of the normal fetlock, pastern and coffin joints of the donkey for anatomists, surgeons and veterinary students. Eight adult donkeys of both sexes free from any joints affection were used in our study. The digit of two donkeys had undergone radiographic and computed tomographic scanning; the other donkey's specimens were used to anatomical dissection and sectional anatomy. In the computed tomography (CT) of the fetlock joint all bone structures of the joint appeared also the soft tissue structures that could be identified and evaluated on the different soft tissue window planes included the common digital extensor tendon, lateral digital extensor tendon, superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), straight, oblique, and cruciate distal sesamoidean and intersesamoidean ligaments. For the pastern joint the structures that can be identified including the proximal phalanx, DDFT and digital cushion. In the coffin joint the collateral sesamoidean ligament (CSL) is difficult to identify on CT images.

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