The Effect Of Three Species Of Schistosomes On Hepatic Drug Metabolism In Male BALB/ Mice
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Date
1990
Authors
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Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that affects over 200 million people in the world. S.mansoni and S.haematobium are of medical importance while S.mattheei is primarily of veterinary concern. It is important to know the effect that the disease has on elimination of xenobiotics. The effect of S.mansoni infection on thiopental sleeping times and zoxazolamine paralysis times has previously been reported by other workers as well as by us. Similar work on S.mattheei and S.haematobium infected animals, however, has not been reported in the literature. The effect of S.mattheei and S.haematobium on thiopental sleeping times was therefore studied and compared to results obtained for animals infected with S.mansoni. Thiopental sleeping times and egg loads of infected animals are shown in Table 1. Although S.haematobium infected animals did not have detectable levels of parasite eggs in their livers at 8 weeks post-infection, significant numbers of eggs were detectable at 12 weeks post-infection. This is in agreement with the observed delayed maturation of S.haematobium schistosomulae in rodents as compared to S.mansoni or S.mattheei. The number of worm pairs in each group was as follows: S.mattheei 20-25, S.mansoni 8-10, and S.haematobium (both 8 and 12 weeks post infection)
3-10 pairs. The sleeping times of all infected animals were prolonged when compared to their respective controls. The reasons for this are not clear but it is likely that the parasite egg-induced granulomas as well as the physical obstruction to portal blood flow caused by migration of•worms from mesenteric to portal veins play a significant role. Data obtained in this laboratory on drug metabolism in vitro in S.mansoni infected animals indicate that the activity of hepatic drug metabolising enzymes is also altered, but generlllly only in animals that have developed parasite egg-induced granulomas in their livers.
Description
An article published in the European Journal of Pharmacology.
Keywords
Schistosomes, Drug Metabolism, Mice