title: The toxicity of praziquantel against Mesocestoides vogae (syn. corti) tetrathyridia can be assessed using a novel in vitro system.
abstract: We recently standardised Mesocestoides vogae (syn. corti) tetrathyridia cultures in the presence of sodium taurocholate. Parasite clustering and segmentation were observed as taurocholate-dependent effects in biphasic and monophasic media, respectively, and both were inhibited by a specific minimum inhibitory concentration (m.i.c.) of the cestocidal drugs albendazol and praziquantel. In the present study, we analysed the relationship between clustering inhibition and drug toxicity using praziquantel and a mouse experimental infection. In an "in vitro-in vivo" trial, a significant (ANOVA, P<0.05) reduction was observed in the infectivity of tetrathyridia previously cultured with praziquantel m.i.c. (0.06 micro g/ml) for 10 days. In an "in vivo-in vitro" trial, the clustering of tetrathyridia recovered from mice treated with praziquantel was found to be markedly reduced: 22%, compared with 83% cluster-containing wells of parasites from control mice. These results show that the outcome of infection and the suppression of taurocholate-induced clustering provide consistent indications of praziquantel toxicity against M. vogae, an observation confirmed by histological studies. The easily recorded clustering inhibition of M. vogae tetrathyridia in biphasic medium is a potentially useful system for the assessment of drug toxicity against cestode larvae.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Farmacología y Biofarmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Av. General Flores 2124, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saldaña
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casaravilla
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Domínguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000923:Anticestodal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D003470:Culture Media; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008645:Mesocestoides / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D051379:Mice; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000923:Anticestodal Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D011223:Praziquantel