Effect of artemether on the tegument of adult Schistosoma haematobium recovered from mice.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of artemether on the tegument of adult Schistosoma haematobium harbored in mice.


METHODS
Ten mice were infected subcutaneously with 100-120 S. haematobium cercariae each. At day 81 post-infection, 8 mice were treated orally with 400 mg/kg artemether. Mice were sacrificed at 1, 3, 7 and 14 days post-treatment, and schistosomes were collected by the perfusion technique, fixed and examined under a scanning electron microscope. Schistosomes obtained from the 2 untreated mice served as a control.


RESULTS
Twenty-four hours post-treatment, tubercles on the tegument of male worms showed lesions, characterized by enlargement, collapse and partial peeling off from the border with the tegument. In both male and female worms, the tegument showed focal or extensive swelling, fusion, vacuolization, erosion, peeling, and destruction of sensory structures. Three days post-treatment, tegumental alterations further aggravated; particularly severe damage was the swelling or collapse of the oral sucker observed in both sexes. In addition, extensive swelling, erosion and peeling of tegumental ridges and destruction of discoid-like sensory structures were seen in female worms. Seven to 14 days post-treatment, moderate-to-severe damage was still evident in some worms, whereas other worms surviving the treatment showed apparent recovery in most parts of their tegument.


CONCLUSIONS
Artemether causes extensive and severe tegumental damage in adult S. haematobium.
Xiao
Shu-Hua
SH
National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai 200025, China. shxiao1@yahoo.com
Tanner
Marcel
M
Shen
Bing-Gui
BG
Utzinger
Jürg
J
Chollet
Jacques
J
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000077549:Artemether; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology*; D012556:Schistosomicides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
D037621:Artemisinins; D012556:Schistosomicides; D000077549:Artemether