title: Albendazole induces apoptosis in adults and microfilariae of Setaria cervi.
abstract: Setaria cervi, a filarial nematode of cattle, inhabits in the peritoneal cavity and has been used as a suitable model for screening antifilarial agents. Albendazole (ABZ), a tubulin-disrupting benzimidazole (BZ) and a potent microfilaricide binds to β-tubulin, is causing structural impairment of cytoskeleton and worm death. Our present study has revealed that exposure of microfilaria (Mf) and adult to gradually increasing concentration of ABZ leads to a dose-dependent gradual impairment of their motility followed by early death in vitro. We found extreme cellular disturbances in ABZ-treated worms characterized by nucleosomal DNA laddering and chromatin condensation. However, in the treated Mf no nucleosomal DNA laddering was found although presence of TUNEL reactive DNA was evident, thus indicating an apoptotic pathway independent of DNA fragmentation. We present data from molecular studies to provide evidence for ABZ-induced apoptosis in Mf and adult worms of S. cervi.
authors: Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal 731 235, India.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Nayak
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Gayen
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Saini
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Maitra
authors: S P
authors: SP
authors: Sinha Babu
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002417:Cattle; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008842:Microfilariae / Q000187:drug effects; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000469:parasitology; D017182:Setaria Nematode / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012719:Setariasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015766:Albendazole