Vermox
The relationship of hookworm infection, anaemia and iron status in a Papua New Guinea highland population and the response to treatment with iron and mebendazole.

Shield JM, Vaterlaws AL, Kimber RJ, Payne R, Casey GJ, Blunden RW, Kutkaite D.

In 345 apparently healthy Papua New Guinea male subjects, predominantly highlanders, 89% of whom were infected with hookworm (Necator americanus), there was a statistically significant inverse correlation of hookworm egg count with haemoglobin and serum ferritin level, but no significant correlation with serum albumin, folate or B12 values. A sub-group of 128 was chosen for a six-month study on the effect of treatment with the anthelmintic mebendazole and/or parenteral iron on haemoglobin and serum ferritin levels. Mebendazole-treated subjects remained worm-free and the hookworm egg counts of the controls decreased during the study period. Parenteral iron treatment had the expected effect of raising haemoglobin to a normal level. There was a statistically significant improvement in haemoglobin level in all treated groups but not in the control. Serum ferritin levels decreased significantly in all groups, but more in the control than in the treated groups, although treatment groups were not significantly different. Although probable inadequate uptake of iron by the subjects and blood donation by some subjects was apparently more detrimental to iron status than hookworm infection, the results of this study support the view that hookworm infection in this country contributes to lowered haemoglobin levels and iron status.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6945770&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Mebendazole therapy of enteral trichinellosis.

McCracken RO, Garcia A, Robins HG.

Mebendazole was highly effective against the helminth parasite Trichinella spiralis in mice subjected to a 3-day course of treatment during the enteral phase of experimental trichinellosis. When treatment began 72 hr after the mice were inoculated with parasites, the number of adult worms recovered from the host intestine was greatly reduced by twice-daily oral administration of 7.5 mg of mebendazole per kilogram of body weight.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7077456&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Strongyloides ratti and S. stercoralis: the effects of thiabendazole, mebendazole, and cambendazole in infected mice.

Grove DI.

The effects of benzimidazole anthelmintics in murine strongyloidiasis were examined. Thiabendazole 50 mg/kg daily produced a 91% reduction in the numbers of Strongyloides ratti larvae in the feces. A similar suppression was seen when thiabendazole was given during the intestinal phase, but no effect was noted when the drug was administered during the phase of larval migration. Thiabendazole had no effect on larvae in the skin or lungs, did not inhibit maturation of worms, and did not expel adult worms from the gut, but did reduce fecundity of adult worms in the intestines by 84%. Mebendazole and cambendazole 50 mg/kg daily totally suppressed excretion of S. ratti in the feces. A similar suppression was seen when the two drugs were given during the phase of larval migration or during the intestinal phase. They had no effect on larvae in the skin, and the reduction in larval numbers in the lungs was not statistically significant. When given during the migratory phase and early intestinal phase, they reduced the numbers of fourth stage larvae recovered from the gut by 95%. Mebendazole and cambendazole totally eliminated intestinal adult worms. Dose response studies indicated that in terms of orally administered dose, cambendazole was 100-1,000 times more active than mebendazole. Thiabendazole and mebendazole had no significant effect on S. stercoralis larvae in the muscles. In contrast, cambendazole 50 mg/kg daily for 4 days eradicated S. stercoralis larvae from the muscles. It is concluded that cambendazole may have significant advantages over both thiabendazole and mebendazole in the treatment of strongyloidiasis.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7081540&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Clinical pharmacokinetics of high dose mebendazole in patients treated for cystic hydatid disease.

Braithwaite PA, Roberts MS, Allan RJ, Watson TR.

The plasma concentrations of mebendazole and its metabolites have been monitored in twelve patients after receiving a 10 mg/kg dose for cystic hydatid disease. The mebendazole plasma concentration-time profiles differed considerably between patients; elimination half-lives ranged from 2.8-9.0 h, time to peak plasma concentration after dosing ranged from 1.5-7.25 h and peak plasma concentrations ranged from 17.5 to 500 ng/ml. The mean peak plasma concentration of mebendazole after an initial dose (69.5 ng/ml) was lower than found in patients during chronic therapy (137.4 ng/ml). The plasma AUCTS for the major metabolites of mebendazole (methyl 5-(alpha-hydroxybenzyl)-2-benzimidazole carbamate and 2-amino-5 benzoylbenzimidazole) were about five times the plasma AUCT found for mebendazole in patients on chronic therapy. It is suggested that the slower clearance of these polar metabolites relative to mebendazole results from enterohepatic recycling. Since mebendazole is also highly plasma protein bound, caution should be observed in administering mebendazole to patients with liver disease. Concentrations of mebendazole found in the tissue and cyst material collected from two patients during surgery ranged from 59.5 to 206.6 ng/g wet weight.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7094986&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
The pharmacokinetics of mebendazole and flubendazole in animals and man.

Michiels M, Hendriks R, Heykants J, van den Bossche H.

A sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay procedure was developed for mebendazole and flubendazole enabling a more thorough study of the systemic absorption and pharmacokinetic behaviour of the drugs. In rats, plasma levels of oral and subcutaneous mebendazole were about 10 times higher than those of flubendazole. The pro-drug R 34 803 showed levels of metabolically formed flubendazole similar to those found for mebendazole. Intramuscular flubendazole in dogs, injected for 5 consecutive days, produced sustained fairly high plasma levels for at least 6 weeks after the last dose. The absorption of oral flubendazole in man was markedly enhanced when the drug was taken together with a meal. A 20-times higher dose, however, produced only an increase by 1.4 of the plasma levels and AUC-values, indicating that the absorption of flubendazole is limited by the extremely poor solubility of the drug in the contents of the gastrointestinal tract.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7103610&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox



Vermox
Identification of biliary metabolites of mebendazole in the rat.

Allan RJ, Watson TR.

Three metabolites of mebendazole were isolated from the bile of rats dosed with a mixture of mebendazole and pentadeuteromebendazole. The identification was based upon the appearance of the characteristic doublet in the mass spectrum of the compounds and the comparison of their fragmentations with those of authentic compounds. Cochromatography of the metabolites with the authentic compounds on HPLC supported the identification. Methyl-5(6)-(alpha-hydroxybenzyl)-2-benzimidazole carbamate, 2-amino-5(6)-(alpha-hydroxybenzyl) benzimidazole and 2-amino-5(6)-benzoylbenzimidazole were identified as metabolites after enzymic conjugate hydrolysis. Some unmetabolized mebendazole was also found.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7117296&dopt=Abstract mebendazole Vermox