Vermox
[Field studies on different control schemes for hookworm infection]

[Article in Chinese]

Tang CM, Huang JJ.

Institute of Parasitic Diseases Control, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning.

Three different control schemes including selective chemotherapy, a combination of selective chemotherapy and management of fecal disposal and mass treatment with mebendazole-medicated salt were implemented for the control of hookworm infection in Luwo Town and Taiping Village, Wuming County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during 1971-1990. Through ten years of selective chemotherapy, the results showed that the hookworm infection rate dropped from 42.6% to 3.9% and the infection intensity from 425.6 eggs per gram faeces to 1.6 eggs per gram faeces. After seven years of selective chemotherapy combined with management of fecal, the hookworm infection rate dropped from 58.7% to 10.9% and the infection intensity from 111.5 eggs per gram faeces to 8.5 eggs per gram faeces. However, 3 years after the termination of the combined treatment, the hookworm infection rate increased to 14.5%. As for the implementation of the third scheme, mebendazole-medicated salt was given at 100 mg daily for 30 consecutive days or at 50 mg daily for 30 consecutive days. Stool examination was made one year after the treatment, the results showed that the infection rate of the inhabitants dropped from 36% and 36% to 2% and 1.3%, respectively, and the infection intensity dropped from 110.3 and 246 eggs per gram faeces to 1.3 and 0.24 eggs per gram faeces. After three years, the infection rate of inhabitants remained under 2% and the infection intensity under 1 egg per gram faeces. It was concluded that mass treatment with mebendazole-medicated salt might be the most practical scheme for the control of hookworm infection.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8168249&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
In vitro susceptibility of the opportunistic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans to anthelmintic benzimidazoles.

Cruz MC, Bartlett MS, Edlind TD.

Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129.

Ten benzimidazole derivatives and amphotericin B were tested in vitro against three isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. Drug concentrations inhibiting 50% of growth (IC50s) were determined. Four derivatives, including mebendazole and albendazole, had moderately high activities (IC50 = 0.1 to 0.3 microgram/ml). Fenbendazole, however, was 10-fold more active (IC50 = 0.01 to 0.02 microgram/ml) and also 2-fold more active than amphotericin B. Ten additional clinical isolates of C. neoformans were tested against fenbendazole, mebendazole, and albendazole; similar susceptibilities were observed. Drug concentrations lethal to 90% of the cells (LC90s) were determined for two isolates. The LC90s of albendazole and mebendazole were 0.92 to 2.1 micrograms/ml, and those of fenbendazole were 0.06 to 0.07 microgram/ml; the latter are eight to ninefold lower than the LC90s of amphotericin B that were obtained. Spontaneously arising mutants displaying partial resistance to fenbendazole arose at a low frequency (5 x 10(-9).

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8192471&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
[Chemoprophylaxis of secondary peritoneal hydatidosis. Experimental study]

[Article in Spanish]

Errasti Alustiza J, Arevalo Alonso JM, Ortiz Tudanca J, Rebollar Saenz J, Martinez Blazquez C, Vitores Lopez JM.

Servicio de Cirugia General, Hospital de Txagorritxu, Vitoria.

We have studied the effectiveness of pharmacologic prophylaxis of experimental peritoneal hydatidosis. Mice (n = 140, divided in ten groups) suffered intraperitoneal contamination with protoscoleces of E. granulosus from sheep. Each group received different treatment (mebendazole, praziquantel, or both), in three different schedules (during 3 days before contamination, during 7 days after contamination, or both before and after Mebendazole 150 mg/kg-day), praziquantel (25 mg/kg-day) were given in three daily doses. Mice were sacrificed six months later and the number and type of existing peritoneal cysts was recorded. Prophylaxis prior to contamination was shown ineffective. Early treatment greatly decreased the severity of the peritoneal hydatidosis. The administration of the drug before and after contamination, did not improve the results obtained when the drug was given after contamination. Both mebendazole and praziquantel were effective, though the former obtained better results. The association of both drugs does not improve the results obtained with mebendazole alone. These experimental results recommend the early use of mebendazol or praziquantel after open surgery for hydatidosis, in order to prevent the occurrence of secondary peritoneal hydatidosis.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8217380&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Interaction of mebendazole with tubulin from body wall muscle, intestine, and reproductive system of Ascaris suum.

Bughio NI, Faubert GM, Prichard RK.

Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.

The binding of tritiated mebendazole, a benzimidazole anthelmintic, to tubulin derived from intestine, body wall muscle, and reproductive system of adult Ascaris suum was examined and compared. Mebendazole binding was resolved into specific and nonspecific binding and the binding affinity (Ka) and maximum binding at infinite ligand concentration (Bmax) determined. Electron microscopy was performed to assess the tubulin in various tissues of A. suum quantitatively by observing the presence of microtubules. Total binding was highest in intestine followed by body wall muscle. It was least in the reproductive system. The intestine demonstrated greater specific binding per milligram of protein than the body wall muscle. However, in the reproductive system extract, high affinity binding was not detected. After correction for nonspecific binding of ligand, the results indicated that the Bmax of mebendazole for the tubulin of A. suum intestine was about 3-fold higher than for that of body wall muscle. The Ka of mebendazole for intestinal tubulin was similar to that for body wall muscle. Electron microscopy of A. suum tissues demonstrated that the tubulin content decreased from the intestine through the body wall muscle to the reproductive system. Differences in tubulin content from different tissues may determine the selective sensitivity of these tissues to benzimidazole attack.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8308645&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of the anthelmintic mebendazole in eel muscle tissue.

Steenbaar JG, Hajee CA, Haagsma N.

Department of the Science of Food of Animal Origin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, Netherlands.

A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of mebendazole in eel muscle tissue was developed. It is applicable for concentrations of 10 micrograms/kg and higher. Muscle tissue was extracted with ethyl acetate, and the extract, after addition of hexane, was concentrated and cleaned up on a silica gel solid-phase extraction column. Mebendazole was eluted from the column with 3% acetic acid in methanol. The eluate, after reconstitution in the chromatographic mobile phase, was analysed on a LiChrosorb RP-8 column with acetonitrile-0.05 M ammonium phosphate buffer (pH 6.2) (3:7, v/v) as the mobile phase. Detection was performed at 311 nm. The average mebendazole recovery over the concentration range 10-5000 micrograms/kg eel muscle tissue was 72 +/- 6.4%. The calibration curve for spiked samples was linear throughout the range 10-10,000 micrograms/kg (r = 0.999).

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8340460&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
[Surgical management of liver echinococcosis]

[Article in Hungarian]

Petri A, Karacsonyi S, Kalmar NK, Leindler L.

Sebeszeti Klinika, Szent-Gyorgyi Albert Orvostudomanyi Egyetem, Szeged.

In the last ten years 62 patients were operated on by the authors because of liver echinococcosis. Each of the infections caused by echinococcus granulosus. In the course of the examination ultrasonography, abdominal X-ray, Casoni test and ELISA were used. Angiography and ERCP were applied only to answer special questions. The echinococcus cysts were removed in 15 cases by atypical liver resection, in 42 cases by pericystectomy and in 5 cases by partial cystectomy using the Pringle's manoeuvre in all of them. Operative mortality was 3.22%. Jaundice was observed in three cases, fever in five cases, wound infection in two cases. Reoperations had to be performed in two cases. All of the patients were treated postoperatively with mebendasol (Vermox). Recurrence of the infection could not be observed.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8351130&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox