title: The effect of levamisole on acetylcholinesterase secretion by male and female Heligmosomoides polygyrus during ageing.
abstract: The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase secretion by male and female Heligmosomoides polygyrus was tested on worms taken from experimentally infected mice and maintained for 3 days in vitro in levamisole. The dose inhibiting 50% of enzyme secretion (ID 50) of male worms was twice the ID 50 for female worms. A similar difference was observed in vivo between the dose of levamisole removing 50% (LD50) of male and female worms from the mouse. Acetylcholinesterase secretion by worms and ID 50 were tested in vitro at 3-weekly intervals from 3 to 21 weeks post infection (WPI). Acetylcholinesterase secretion was always significantly higher for male than for female worms. A decrease of ID 50, correlated with the age of the worms was observed: from 1.5 to 0.5 micrograms/ml for males and from 0.7 to 0.1 micrograms/ml for females. These results were confirmed in vivo by a higher efficacy of the anthelminthic at 21 than at 4 WPI.
authors.affiliation: I.N.R.A. Centre de Recherches de Tours, Station de Pathologie Aviaire et de Parasitologie, Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mallet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kerboeuf
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D007978:Levamisole / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009351:Nematospiroides dubius / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D012737:Sex Factors; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007978:Levamisole; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase