Vermox
Activity of the anthelmintic benzimidazoles against Giardia lamblia in vitro.

Edlind TD, Hang TL, Chakraborty PR.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129.

In vitro growth of the protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia was highly sensitive to certain anthelmintic benzimidazoles. Albendazole and mebendazole were 30- to 50-fold more active than metronidazole and 4- to 40-fold more active than quinacrine. Thiabendazole, a noncarbamate benzimidazole, was less active. Since lack of intestinal absorption makes mebendazole an attractive new antigiardial agent, its in vitro activity was further characterized. At low concentrations (0.05 micrograms/ml) mebendazole had a static effect on G. lamblia growth; however, lethal activity was observed at a concentration fivefold lower (0.3 micrograms/ml) than necessary for the cidal agent metronidazole. Two observations are consistent with a microtubule target for mebendazole. First, attachment of cells to the culture tube, mediated by the ventral disk and flagella, was rapidly disrupted by mebendazole treatment. Second, the characteristic cell structure was grossly distorted by treatment. No mebendazole-resistant G. lamblia were detected in a population of 10(8) cells.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2230276&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Recurrence rate after discontinuation of long-term mebendazole therapy in alveolar echinococcosis (preliminary results).

Ammann RW, Hirsbrunner R, Cotting J, Steiger U, Jacquier P, Eckert J.

Gastroenterology Service, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.

The recurrence rate was investigated in 19 patients with non-resectable alveolar echinococcosis after discontinuation of a long-term therapy with mebendazole (average treatment 4.3 years). A control group consisted of 14 patients who underwent radical surgery and finished a course of prophylactic postoperative mebendazole treatment of 2 years. In the controls, no recurrence was observed after a post-therapy period averaging 3.5 years. In contrast, recurrence occurred in 7/19 patients (37%) with non-resectable alveolar echinococcosis an average of 1.6 years after discontinuation of the long-term mebendazole therapy. The absence of clinically detectable recurrence in the remaining 12 patients seems to be due either to spontaneous inactivation of alveolar echinococcosis preceding chemotherapy or too short post-therapy surveillance. The patients with recurrence responded favorably to reintroduction of chemotherapy. The data indicate that mebendazole therapy is parasitostatic rather than parasiticidal.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2240375&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
An experimental in vitro model for evaluating drugs against protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus.

Lorenzini R, Ruggieri A.

Laboratory of Veterinary Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy.

Pharmacological studies carried out on protoscoleces in vitro to standardize conditions that would permit a preliminary estimate of the efficacy of drugs with potential activity against Echinococcus granulosus are reported. Media such as PBS and Hanks solution, maintenance temperature, different pH values and concentrations of various solvents have been tested to check the effects on protoscolex survival in tubes in vitro. Mebendazole has been used as the pharmacological standard reference. Changes in the viability of protoscoleces have been used to demonstrate pharmacological activity. Best conditions were obtained employing Hanks solution and propylene glycol at low concentrations. Mebendazole was not completely effective at the concentrations achievable in human therapy. Linear, reproducible results demonstrated that Hanks solution provides an ideal medium for pharmacological studies. Among tested solvents, propylene glycol and dimethyl sulphoxide showed no lethal activity at low concentrations. At concentrations similar to those normally obtained in human sera, mebendazole, as in vivo, demonstrated only partial lethality for protoscoleces. The present study represents a new experimental approach to chemotherapy of hydatid disease.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2283476&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
[Treatment of strongyloidiasis with mebendazole and its combination with thiabendazole]

[Article in Japanese]

Shikiya K, Kuniyoshi T, Higashionna A, Arakkaki T, Oyakawa T, Kadena K, Kinjo F, Saito A, Asato R.

First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of The Ryukyus.

Although Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) infection rate in Okinawa Prefecture was less than 2% by the traditional method, it has been proven to be 6.2% by the new technique--agar plate method. Thiabendazole has strong activity to eradicate the organism, but it is well known that the rate of severe side effects is extremely high. Therefore, we attempted to evaluate the new treatment for the infection by mebendazole and its combination with thiabendazole. The reason for use of the drug is based on the reports of successful treatment of S. stercoralis infection in humans with the mild and infrequent side effects produced by the drug. Thirty three patients were orally given mebendazole 100 mg twice daily for 28 days. Twenty six patients were given thiabendazole 500 mg thrice daily for 5 days and after that, mebendazole 100 mg twice daily for 9 days. This combination therapy was repeated twice. The following results were obtained: 1) Out of a total of 59 patients, the cure rate was 83.3% (20/24) in single use of mebendazole and 100.0% (22/22) in the combination therapy. 2) Constipation (9.1%) and headache (9.1%) were of relatively high incidence in the mebendazole group, but they were mild. Nausea (19.2%) and headache (15.4%) were observed in the combination therapy group and the drug was discontinued in 2 patients. 3) The incidence of the elevation of S-GOT, S-GPT was noted in 71.4% (20/28) for the mebendazole group and 52.2% (12/23) for combination therapy group. All 13 patients of the mebendazole group were negative in lymphocyte stimulation test for mebendazole.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2286784&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Field trials of the anthelmintic efficacy of nitroscanate and mebendazole in dogs.

Genchi C, Traldi G, Manfredi MT.

Department of Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Milan, Italy.

The efficacies of nitroscanate and mebendazole against nematodes and Dipylidium caninum were compared by the examination of the faeces of 155 dogs. In unweaned puppies nitroscanate acted significantly faster and was significantly more effective than mebendazole against Toxocara canis. In adult dogs, both drugs had a low efficacy against Trichuris vulpis but a similarly good efficacy against other nematodes, with a tendency for nitroscanate to be more effective in reducing the prevalence of Ancylostoma caninum. Nitroscanate reduced the prevalence of D caninum infections considerably more than mebendazole.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2309388&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Effect of some drugs on some histopathological and immunological aspects of experimental trichinosis in albino rats.

el-Ridi AM, Abou-Ragab HA, Ismail MM, Shehata MM, Ramadan ME, Etewa SE.

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagazig, Egypt.

The present work is concerned with study of the effects of praziquantel, thiabendazole, mebendazole, cyclophosphamide and cortisone on histopathology of the small intestine (during intestinal phase) and skeletal muscles (during muscular phase), in addition to T. lymphocytes count and serum IgG estimation in experimental trichinosis in albino rats. Praziquantel has no effect on the histopathology of small intestine or skeletal muscles. Thiabendazole and mebendazole treatment resulted in complete eradication of Trichinella spiralis worms of small intestine and marked reduction of larval infection (mild infection) of skeletal muscle. Praziquantel, thiabendazole and mebendazole did not affect significantly the T. lymphocytes count of the host during the intestinal phase. Cyclophosphamide and cortisone suppressed the cellular immunity (T. lymphocytes) and accordingly enhanced the parasitic infection in histopathology of both phases. All the drugs tested induced significant reduction of T. lymphocytes in muscular phase (which may be due to parasitic infection itself) and insignificant effect on IgG level in both phases.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2332669&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox