Correlation between Infection Intensity, Serum Immunoglobulin Profile, Cellular Immunity and the Efficacy of Treatment with Praziquantel in Murine Schistosomiasis mansoni

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of praziquantel (CAS 55268-74-1, EMBAY 8440, Biltricide) in different grades of Schistosoma mansoni infection. Moreover, the relationship between the post treatment worm burden, hepatic granuloma volume, and serum immunoglobin profile was also investigated. Four groups of Swiss albino mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni cercariae were used: Highly infected untreated control mice (infected with 120 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae) and their corresponding praziquantel treated group. Lightly infected untreated control mice (infected with 60 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae) and their corresponding praziquantel treated group. Praziquantel was given seven weeks post infection in a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight for two consecutive days. Animals were sacrificed two weeks post treatment. Praziquantel achieved better cure rates in mice with heavy infection than in less intensely infected animals. The drug reduced the hepatic granuloma in animals with light intensity infection. This reduction was more accentuated in highly infected animals. The serum immunoglobulin profile (immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M) showed a higher level in highly infected treated mice (1.2 +/- 0.6 optical density unit and 1.1 +/- 0.5 optical density unit, respectively) and was reduced in animals with low intensity infection (1.18 +/- 0.6 optical density unit and 0.7 +/- 0.6 optical density unit, respectively). This study may be of value in tropical regions, where schistosomiasis with low worm burden is a common occurrence.

Further study on mefloquine concerning several aspects in experimental treatment of mice and hamsters infected with Schistosoma japonicum

“…Since mefloquine exhibits potential effect against various stages of schistosomes either in vivo or in vitro, it seems that the killing effect of mefloquine might not be closely related to the immune response. Our results indicate that the worm burden reductions obtained from mice with various intensity of S. japonicum infection and treated orally with a lower or a higher dose of mefloquine were similar which is different from that of praziquantel (Yue et al 1989(Yue et al , 1990Fallon et al 1995;Nessim and Demerdash 2000).…”

“…When mice and rabbits infected with various amount of S. mansoni or S. japonicum cercariae for 5-8 weeks were treated with praziquanel at a same dose schedule, the reduction in worm burden was greater in mice or rabbits with heavy infections than in lightly infected animals which was closely associated with higher titers of relevant antibody in heavily infected animal than that of animals with light infection (Yue et al 1989(Yue et al , 1990Fallon et al 1995;Nessim and Demerdash 2000). Since mefloquine exhibits potential effect against various stages of schistosomes either in vivo or in vitro, it seems that the killing effect of mefloquine might not be closely related to the immune response.…”

Effect of the Broad Spectrum Anthelmintic Drug Flubendazole upon Schistosoma mansoni Experimentally Infected Mice

“…The experimental animals were maintained for seven weeks in air conditioned rooms at 21°C, and food containing 24 % protein content. The animal experiments have been carried out according to the internationally valid guidelines in an institution responsible for animal ethics (Theodor Bilharz Research Institute) [15]. Mice were divided in a randomized manner into two main groups: the first main group (I) received 100 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae subcutaneously and served as control infected untreated mice.…”

A novel green approach for treatment of immature Schistosomiasis Mansoni infection in mice; Arabic gum (Acacia Senegal) antischistosomal properties

“…This dose was similar to that of Nasir et al 2012 [ 17], but given individually to each mouse orally using a syringe with a curved end. On the 21 st & 22 nd day PZQ (Alexandria Company for Pharmaceuticals and Chemical Industries, Alex., Egypt) was freshly suspended in 13 ml of 2% cremophore-EL (Sigma Chemical Co., USA) and orally administered to mice at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight for two consecutive days [28]. Three weeks later (6 weeks p.i) all animals were scarified to assess AG antischistosomal efficacy.…”