title: Schistogram changes after administration of antischistosomal drugs in mice at the early phase of Schistosoma mansoni infection.
abstract: Mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni were treated with oxamniquine, praziquantel, artesunate at the pre-patent phase, aiming at observing schistogram alterations. Half of the animals were perfused five days post-treatment for counting and classification of immature worms, based on pre-established morphological criteria (schistogram); the remaining animals were evaluated 42 or 100 days after infection and perfusion of the portal-system was performed for collection and counting of adult worms and oogram. It was observed that oxamniquine and artesunate treatment administered at the pre-postural phase causes significant reduction in the number of immature and adult worms. However, there was little reduction with praziquantel when used at the dose of 400 mg/kg for treatments administered 14, 15, 21 or 23 days post-infection. Artesunate was responsible for significant alterations in development of young worms, as well as for a higher number of worms presenting intestinal damages. Immature adult worms were detected in mice treated with artesunate or oxamniquine at the pre-patent phase of infection and recovered by perfusion 100 days after infection. Schistogram proved to be a very useful tool for experimental evaluation of the activity of antischistosomal drugs and a good model to identify the most sensitive stages to drugs.
authors.affiliation: Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais, Hospital Alberto Cavalcanti, Belo HorizonteMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andréa Cássia Simões
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Vimieiro
authors.forename: Neusa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Naftale
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: John Robert
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kusel
authors.forename: Paulo Marcos Zech
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Coelho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077332:Artesunate; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D010073:Oxamniquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012556:Schistosomicides / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D037621:Artemisinins; D012556:Schistosomicides; D010073:Oxamniquine; D000077332:Artesunate; D011223:Praziquantel