Schistosoma mansoni: chemotherapy of infections of different ages

Exp Parasitol. 1986 Jun;61(3):294-303. doi: 10.1016/0014-4894(86)90184-0.

Abstract

Mice were treated with potassium antimony tartrate, hycanthone, oxamniquine, niridazole, or praziquantel at different times after infection with Schistosoma mansoni. The rate of cure was assessed by perfusion of surviving worms approximately 4 weeks after treatment, and the percentage reduction in worm burden was estimated relative to the number of adult worms perfused from control mice, comparably infected but untreated. All six drugs were relatively inactive against S. mansoni between 3 and 4 weeks after infection when compared with treatment at 5 to 6 weeks. However, the drugs differed in the patterns of cure they achieved in the 2-week period after administration of cercariae and in the period around the onset of patency. Worms that had been subjected to amoscanate or hycanthone in the third week after infection showed evidence of this as adults in having a reduced fecundity. Factors such as worm or host physiology, or host immune status may have had roles in the outcome of chemotherapy at different stages of maturation of S. mansoni.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimony Potassium Tartrate / pharmacology
  • Antimony Potassium Tartrate / therapeutic use
  • Diphenylamine / analogs & derivatives
  • Diphenylamine / pharmacology
  • Diphenylamine / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Hycanthone / pharmacology
  • Hycanthone / therapeutic use
  • Isothiocyanates*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred CBA
  • Niridazole / pharmacology
  • Niridazole / therapeutic use
  • Oxamniquine / pharmacology
  • Oxamniquine / therapeutic use
  • Praziquantel / pharmacology
  • Praziquantel / therapeutic use
  • Schistosoma mansoni / drug effects*
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / drug therapy*
  • Schistosomiasis mansoni / parasitology
  • Schistosomicides / pharmacology
  • Schistosomicides / therapeutic use*
  • Thiocyanates / pharmacology
  • Thiocyanates / therapeutic use
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Isothiocyanates
  • Schistosomicides
  • Thiocyanates
  • Oxamniquine
  • Hycanthone
  • Praziquantel
  • Diphenylamine
  • Antimony Potassium Tartrate
  • Niridazole
  • amoscanate