title: Effects of luxabendazole on the tegument of Fasciola hepatica.
abstract: The effects in vivo of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg of luxabendazole (LBZ) on the tegument of Fasciola hepatica have been examined 48 h, 7 days and 14 days post-treatment of experimentally-infected rats. As early as 48 h post-treatment, the drug is shown to provoke significant damage to the tegument. The pathological phenomena characterizing LBZ damage are blebbing of the apical plasmalemma, formation of microvillus-like projections over the free surface, swelling of the basal infolds and stimulation of autophagy. The spines are often fractured; the tegument in the vicinity of spines seems more strongly altered than that in other foci. The basal layer is often changed, from increase of electron density to lack of integrity with the apical cytoplasm. The progress of the ultrastructural damage with time is not expressed. However, cytochemical data show that a longer post-treatment intervals the surface-coat structure becomes irregular and patches of ruthenium red positive material of variable thickness are focally accumulated. Only a slight dose-effect is noted 48 h after LBZ application when the alterations provoked by 5 mg/kg are less evident than those by 10 and 20 mg/kg.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Stoitsova
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Gorchilova
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002219:Carbamates / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005210:Fasciola hepatica / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012430:Ruthenium Red
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D002219:Carbamates; D012430:Ruthenium Red; C058092:luxabendazole; D000135:Acid Phosphatase