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. 2022 May 27:10:848633.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.848633. eCollection 2022.

The Effect of Different Formulations of Praziquantel in Reducing Worms in the Prepatent Period of Schistosomiasis in Murine Models

Érica Tex Paulino  1   2   3 , Monique Ribeiro de Lima  4 , Alessandra Lifsitch Viçosa  5 , Cleber Hooper da Silva  6 , Claudio Javier Salomon  7   8 , Daniel Andrés Real  7   8 , Dario Leonardi  7   8 , Clélia Christina Mello Silva  2 , Antonio Henrique Almeida de Moraes Neto  1
Affiliations

The Effect of Different Formulations of Praziquantel in Reducing Worms in the Prepatent Period of Schistosomiasis in Murine Models

Érica Tex Paulino et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a widely distributed parasitic disease and one of the most important neglected tropical diseases globally, for which Praziquantel® (PZQ) is the only available treatment. In this context, tests with new PZQ formulations become relevant for disease control. This study evaluated the effects of PZQ treatment in the prepatent phase of schistosomiasis using two formulations: nanoencapsulated (PZQ-NANO) and active pharmaceutical ingredient (PZQ-API). Five experimental groups were established, for which the following serological parameters were evaluated: ALT, AST, ALP, and TP. Animals treated with PZQ-API at 15 and 30 days post-infection showed decreased eggs per gram of feces (EPG) compared to untreated infected animals. The same animals showed reductions of 63.6 and 65.1%, respectively, at 60 days post-infection. Animals treated with PZQ-NANO experienced no significant changes in EPG at any time of observation. Animals treated with either PZQ-API or PZQ-NANO had higher ALT and AST levels in the patent period (60 and 90 days post-infection). Treatment with PZQ, either API or NANO, at 15 days post-infection reduced AST, ALT, and TP levels. It is concluded that prepatent treatment with PZQ-API can reduce the parasite load of infected animals and that treatment at 15 days post-infection can prevent increased serum levels of ALT, AST, and TP.

Keywords: Praziquantel (PZQ); Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni); nanoencapsulated; prepatent infection; schistosomiasis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the experimental design of the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of the results of serological parameters between the IN, INTR-API and TR-API groups. (A) AST, Aspartate Transaminase; (B) ALT, Alanine Transaminase; (C) ALP, Alkaline Phosphatase; and (D) TP, Total Proteins. Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test: * P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of the results of serological parameters between the IN, INTR-NANO, and TR-NANO groups. (A) AST, Aspartate Transaminase; (B) ALT, Alanine Transaminase; (C) ALP, Alkaline Phosphatase; and (D) TP, Total Proteins. Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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