Vermox
[Medical therapy with mebendazole in hydatid cyst disease. A follow-up of 40 cases]

[Article in Italian]

Bartoloni C, de Gaetano AM, Magistrelli P, Danza FM, Barone C, Nuzzo G, Gambassi G.

Istituto di Clinica Medica Generale e Terapia Medica, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma.

Mebendazole (50-60 mg/kg/day in 7-8 divided doses after fatty rich meals for at least 6 months) was given to 44 patients with cystic hydatid disease of the liver and other organs, about 1/3 having suffered from recurrences, even multiple, before beginning the pharmacological treatment. Fifteen patients underwent operation after a course of mebendazole, and macroscopic and histological degeneration of hydatid cysts was always documented; sixteen subjects were not operated due to their severe general and/or local conditions but ultrasound, radiologic (CT) and clinical evidence of cyst regression was obtained, and was closely comparable to that in the aforementioned group. Some of the patients (13) began the treatment only after conservative surgery. The mean real follow-up available at the moment is for 40 subjects because 2 patients did not show adequate compliance for the drug and in 2 additional cases it was withdrawn because of an increase in serum transaminases. The rate of recurrence was 7.5% and occurred in high-risk patients (multiple, bone, lung locations) who had, however, an additional and longer course of mebendazole with good results. The detachment of membranes and the increase of internal echoes, observed by means of ultrasonography, which was successfully applied to liver and soft tissue sites as well as the decrease in blood eosinophils when elevated before therapy, were observed to be the most sensitive indicators of early success in the medical treatment for hydatid disease, as far as the viability of parasite cysts was concerned.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2654757&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
[Use of mebendazole in the treatment of pulmonary hydatidosis]

[Article in Italian]

Lemma F, Barbuscia M, Arsena A, Gorgone S, Navarra G, Catalfamo A.

After recalling the various therapeutic aids proposed for the treatment of hydatid disease, personal experience in the use of mebendazole in patients suffering from pulmonary hydatidosis is reported. On the basis of the results obtained, it is concluded that mebendazole represents a useful therapeutic approach provided it is administered in full doses and for a long period in well selected cases, namely patients with cysts of limited dimension and, probably, of comparatively recent onset.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2725913&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
[Comparative study of thiabendazole and mebendazole in strongyloidiasis]

[Article in Croatian]

Beus A.

Taking into consideration some statements about better efficacy and good tolerability of mebendazole and since thiabendazole has not been produced in our country the past few years we have conducted a study evaluating mebendazole, in comparison with thiabendazole in the treatment of patients with strongyloidiasis. Strongyloidiasis is a disease that should be treated with an effective and active drug since it can rapidly progress and be fatal in patients with disturbed immunocompetence. One hundred and ten patients with strongyloidiasis were treated with oral thiabendazole in a dosage of 50 mg/kg daily for two days; the other group of 41 patients was given mebendazole in a dosage of 10 mg/kg/day orally for five days. Clinical evaluations, parasitologic and hematologic tests were performed within three months after the therapy. Patients were considered to have been cured if parasitologic findings were negative and abnormal blood eosinophilia decreased below 0.09 (733/microliters). According to these criteria thiabendazole was effective in 96.4% of patients and mebendazole in 44% of patients only. We conclude that thiabendazole has still to be regarded the drug of choice in treating patients with strongyloidiasis. Mebendazole is far less effective in patients with this helminthiasis and very probably only suppresses the infection. The reports of other studies on the effect of some of the newer benzimidazole antihelmintics as cambendazole, albendazole and flubendazole have shown that they are toxic or less effective in the treatment of strongyloidiasis.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2747412&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
[Mebendazole-medicated-salt in the control of hookworm infection]

[Article in Chinese]

Tang CM, Huang J, Gan YC, Wu OL, Li SL, Yao RF, Xie CD, Xie GG, He QM, Meng RB, et al.

From 1984-1987, mass application of mebendazole-medicated salt was studied for the control of hookworm infection in 5 pilot areas (Wuming, Shanlin, Bobai, Guilin and Rongxian Counties) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The dosages of mebendazole (mixed with salt) administered were 15mg, 25mg, 30mg, 40mg, 50mg, 30mg, 70mg, 80mg, 100mg or 200mg per person per day for 15, 20 or 30 days. The results showed that 40mg/day for 15-20 days could result in stool egg negative conversion rates of 92.3 to 94.4%, while 50mg/day for 30 days resulted in 96.9 to 100%. Concurrently, the hookworm infection rate in pilot areas dropped by 57.9-71.7% in a short time; whereas the stool egg negative conversion rate of Ascaris lumbricoides was as high as 99.1% to 100% at the same dosage, when the dosage of 100mg/day for 30 days was given, the egg negative reversion rate for Trichuris trichiura was 97.6%. Promising result was also recorded concerning the tolerance of the medicated salt, as the side effects in the inhabitants were mild. In conclusion, the authors considered that the application of mebendazole-medicated salt was a simple and effective measure in controlling hookworm infection, especially in the light of solving the problem of incomplete mass detection and selected mass treatment. Furthermore, it is much more economic from the cost-effect point of view.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2766497&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
In vitro effects of mebendazole on the carbohydrate metabolism of Avitellina lahorea (Cestoda).

Ahmad M, Nizami WA.

Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, India.

Mebendazole (3.3 mumol), causes in vitro glycogen depletion and inhibits glucose uptake in Avitellina lahorea. Inhibition of non-specific phosphomonoesterases and adenosine triphosphatase by mebendazole discussed in the light of the role of phosphatases in uptake mechanisms. Mebendazole has no effect on hexokinase which has broad substrate specificity but influences the activities of some glycolytic enzymes such as phosphorylase, phosphoglucomutase and glucose-6-phosphatase. Thus, it appears that mebendazole also acts to disrupt certain enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism which may ultimately cause death of the parasite.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2822793&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Action of anticytoskeletal compounds on in vitro cytopathic effect, phagocytosis, and adhesiveness of Trichomonas vaginalis.

Juliano C, Monaco G, Bandiera P, Tedde G, Cappuccinelli P.

Istituto di Microbiologia Medica, Universita di Sassari, Italy.

The cytopathic effects of Trichomonas vaginalis treated with inhibitory concentrations of anticytoskeletal compounds (mebendazole, griseofulvin, colchicine, taxol, and cytochalasin B) were studied in mouse CLID fibroblast cultures. The evaluation, at different times, of cell numbers and morphological alterations showed that cytopathic effect was considerably reduced when protozoa were pretreated with mebendazole and griseofulvin, whereas colchicine, taxol, and cytochalasin B had less effect. Furthermore, treatment with mebendazole, griseofulvin, and colchicine decreased adhesiveness of the protozoan, whereas treatment with cytochalasin B and colchicine completely inhibited its phagocytic activity. From these results it may be concluded that alterations induced in the trichomonal cytoskeleton may affect its adhesiveness and its in vitro cytopathic effect, but there is no direct correlation between protozoan phagocytosis and its in vitro pathogenic effect.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2888725&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox