Pharmacodynamics of mefloquine and praziquantel combination therapy in mice harbouring juvenile and adult Schistosoma mansoni

Abstract

Praziquantel (PZQ) is currently the only drug widely used for the treatment of schistosomiasis

The potential role of mefloquine against Schistosoma mansoni infection by prohibition of hepatic oxidative stress in mice

“…The major cause of metabolic dysfunction during pathogenesis is the site specific oxidative damage of some of the susceptible amino acids of protein (Bandopadhyay et al, 1999). In accord with the studies of El-Emam et al (2011), El-Lakkany et al (2011) and Abdel-Fattah and Ahmed (2011 the present study showed that S. mansoni infection in mice induced a significant decrease in the serum total protein. In consonance with the report of El-Lakkany et al (2011) andAbdelFattah andAhmed (2011), data from the present study showed that treatment with Mef at the two tested doses for juvenile and adult stages significantly increased the level of total protein activities in infected-treated group.…”

“…Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new antischistosomal drug. The antimalarial drug mefloquine (Mef) possesses interesting antischistosomal properties (El-Lakkany et al, 2011;Xiao, 2013). The treatment was recommended in several studies as it provided many complementary goals, a reduction of egg-induced pathology, minimal parenchymal changes and the eradication of worms (El-Lakkany et al, 2011).…”

“…The antimalarial drug mefloquine (Mef) possesses interesting antischistosomal properties (El-Lakkany et al, 2011;Xiao, 2013). The treatment was recommended in several studies as it provided many complementary goals, a reduction of egg-induced pathology, minimal parenchymal changes and the eradication of worms (El-Lakkany et al, 2011). Previous studies focused their studies on the epidemiology of schistosomiasis or the physiology of the parasites neglecting to some extent the metabolic changes developed in the host in consequence to infection or Mef treatment.…”

“…The drug presented remarkable in vitro and in vivo activities against major schistosome species (El-Lakkany et al, 2011;Ingram et al, 2012;Zhang and Xiao, 2012). Based on the previous information, the present study was designed to assess the relationship between anti-schistosomal effect of the antimalarial drug mefloquine and the oxidative stress status of S. mansoni infected mice.…”

Schistosomiasis therapeutics: whats in the pipeline?

“…[26] Finally, experimental studies have shown the anti-malarial drug mefloquine to be efficacious against juvenile and adult parasites from the three main schistosome species affecting man. Mefloquine has also been shown to act synergistically with PZQ, as combination therapy, against schistosomes in experimental studies, [27] but this effect could not be reproduced in recent human trials of people infected with S. haematobium parasites. [28] Combination therapy has the advantage of delaying/averting the development of drug resistance parasites when the drugs have different pharmacokinetcis.…”