title: [Effect of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel saponins on eggs, miracidia and cercariae of Schistosoma japonicum].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel saponins (PRS) against the eggs, miracidia, cercariae of Schistosoma japonicum in vitro and compare its efficacy with praziquantel.
  
  
  METHODS
  ICR mice were infected with the cercariae of S. japonicum by the patching abdominal method. The livers of the mice were grinded, screened, and then the eggs of S. japonicum were obtained 42 days post-infection. The miracidia were hatched by using the eggs, and the cercariae were obtained by using the infected Oncomelania snails on the light. The eggs, miracidia and cercariae of S. japonicum were incubated with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 microg/ml PRS for different time, and praziquantel (PZQ) was used as the control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PRS suppressed the hatching rates of eggs for 24 h slightly superior to that of the control drug PZQ at different concentrations, especially in the 4 microg/ml concentration. After the miracidia were incubated with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 microg/ml PRS for 30 min, the dead rates of miracidia were 13.47, 26.05, 60.99, 90.84, 100, 100, 100, 100%, respectively. After the cercariae were incubated with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 microg/ml PRS for 30 min, the dead rates of cercariae were 5.32, 18.81, 44.7, 76.87, 98.28, 100, 100, 100%, respectively. PRS showed time- and dose-dependent mortality effects on the miracidia and cercariae of S. japonicum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PRS has the effects against eggs, miracidia, cercariae of S. japonicum in vitro, and it may become a new anti-schistosome agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qiong-Ming
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hong-Xiang
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Zhuge
authors.forename: You-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xiao-Ran
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shi-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010063:Ovum / Q000187:drug effects*; D031946:Pulsatilla / Q000737:chemistry*; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins