title: Bioactivity of miltefosine against aquatic stages of Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium and their snail hosts, supported by scanning electron microscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Miltefosine, which is the first oral drug licensed for the treatment of leishmaniasis, was recently reported to be a promising lead compound for the synthesis of novel antischistosomal derivatives with potent activity in vivo against different developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni. In this paper an in vitro study was carried out to investigate whether it has a biocidal activity against the aquatic stages of Schistosoma mansoni and its snail intermediate host, Biomphalaria alexandrina , thus being also a molluscicide. Additionally, to see whether miltefosine can have a broad spectrum antischistosomal activity, a similar in vitro study was carried out on the adult stage of Schistosoma haematobium, the second major human species, its larval stages and snail intermediate host, Bulinus truncutes. This was checked by scanning electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Miltefosine proved to have in vitro ovicidal, schistolarvicidal and lethal activity on adult worms of both Schistosoma species and has considerable molluscicidal activity on their snail hosts. Scanning electron microscopy revealed several morphological changes on the different stages of the parasite and on the soft body of the snail, which further strengthens the current evidence of miltefosine's activity. This is the first report of mollusicidal activity of miltefosine and its in vitro schistosomicidal activity against S.haematobium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights miltefosine not only as a potential promising lead compound for the synthesis of novel broad spectrum schistosomicidal derivatives, but also for molluscicidals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. mahaeissa19@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Maha M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Eissa
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Bardicy
authors.forename: Menerva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tadros
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D004202:Disinfectants; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; C039128:miltefosine