title: The effects of pyrantel tartrate on Sarcocystis neurona merozoite viability.
abstract: Sarcocystis neurona is the etiologic agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, a neurologic disease of horses. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that pyrantel tartrate can kill S. neurona merozoites growing in equine dermal cell culture. Sarcocystis neurona merozoites were exposed to a range of concentrations of pyrantel tartrate or sodium tartrate ranging from 0.001 to 0.01 M. Merozoites were then placed onto equine dermal cell cultures and incubated for 2 weeks to check for viability. At 1 and 2 weeks after inoculation, plaque counts were compared between treatments and, between treatments and controls. Merozoites exposed to concentrations of pyrantel tartrate higher than 0.0025 M (8.91 x 10(-4) g/ml) did not produce plaques in equine dermal cells, whereas those exposed to similar concentrations of the tartrate salt or medium alone produced significant numbers of plaques. These results demonstrate that pyrantel tartrate has activity against S. neurona merozoites in vitro and suggest that it may have activity against the sporozoite stage of the parasite found in the equine gut.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, D201 Veterinary Medicine Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kruttlin
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rossano
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Vrable
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kaneene
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Mansfield
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006736:Horses; D052940:Merozoites / Q000187:drug effects*; D011717:Pyrantel Tartrate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D011717:Pyrantel Tartrate