The effect of disulfiram on egg shell formation in adult Trichuris muris.
The effect of disulfiram on egg shell morphology in the parasitic nematode Trichuris muris was studied in vitro and in vivo. Daily disulfiram treatment of mice infected with T. muris beginning 25 days after infection and continuing for 26 days resulted in the production of malformed eggs by adult female worms in all treated groups. In addition, significantly fewer adult worms were found at necropsy in mice treated with 5.0 or 7.5 mg/kg/day of disulfiram as compared with mice treated with 2.5 mg/kg/day or control mice. Adult worms collected from infected, untreated mice and placed in aerobic culture for 5 days in media containing 4 or 8 micrograms/ml of disulfiram released malformed eggs into the culture medium after 30 hr in culture. Oral inoculation of naive mice with malformed eggs did not result in T. muris infections in the mice. The results of these studies suggest that inhibition of phenol oxidase results in disruption of normal egg production by T. muris females and that the enzyme might be a useful target in the development of control strategies aimed at nematode parasites that rely on phenol oxidase for egg shell hardening.
Hill
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DE
United States Department of Agriculture, Parasite Biology and Epidemiology Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA.
Fetterer
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RH
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects; D010063:Ovum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D014258:Trichuris / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D004221:Disulfiram