title: Efficacy of levamisole alone and in combination with mebendazole against Gongylonema pulchrum infection in rabbits.
abstract: Gongylonema pulchrum is an important parasite of captive primates. Twelve rabbits were infected with 30 third-stage larvae of G. pulchrum. At 4-7 months post-infection, animals were administered levamisole at a single dose of 12 mg/kg, levamisole at 8 mg/kg three times at 2-day intervals, levamisole at a single dose of 8 mg/kg after administration of mebendazole at 70 mg/kg for 3 days or 8 ml of distilled water for 3 days (control). Necropsy at 14 days after treatment revealed that single and multiple dosages of levamisole reduced nematode burdens by 68.4% and 89.5%, respectively. The combined regimen of mebendazole and levamisole exhibited high efficacy for treating G. pulchrum located widely within the upper digestive tract, with a reduction of 98.2%. These results suggest that this combined chemotherapy treatment may be effective against G. pulchrum infection, including buccal and lingual gongylonemiasis in primates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Towada, Aomori 034-8628, Japan.
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Natsumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamane
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikadai
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oyamada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000969:Antinematodal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D007978:Levamisole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008463:Mebendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011817:Rabbits; D017205:Spirurida Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D013151:Spiruroidea
chemical_list: D000969:Antinematodal Agents; D007978:Levamisole; D008463:Mebendazole