[Combatting river blindness by means of chemotherapy directed at the symbiotic Wolbachia bacteria in the causative filariae].
In a mouse model of river blindness it was demonstrated that Wolbachia bacteria, endosymbionts of filarial nematodes, play an important role in the inflammatory process leading to the disease and that this process depends on Toll-like receptor 4. Wolbachia is found in many arthropods and in all filariae pathogenic for man. Treatment with doxycycline depletes female filariae of Wolbachia and renders them infertile for at least 18 months. Chemotherapy of filarial nematodes should be studied for the reduction and possibly prevention of pathology due to filariae, and for a contribution to control and eradication programmes.
Academisch Medisch Centrum/Universiteit van Amsterdam, afd. Inwendige Geneeskunde, onderafd. Infectieziekten, Tropische Geneeskunde en AIDS, Postbus 22.660, 1100 DD Amsterdam. p.a.kager@amc.uva.nl
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D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009854:Onchocerca / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D015827:Onchocerciasis, Ocular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology; D013559:Symbiosis; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C495345:TLR4 protein, human; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D004318:Doxycycline