In vitro effects of febrifugine on Schistosoma mansoni adult worms

• Published in: Tropical Medicine and Health
• Main Authors: Yoshinori Mitsui, Mitsumasa Miura, Kentaro Kato
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2020
• Subjects: Febrifugine; Dichroa febrifuga; Antischistosomal drug; Schistosoma mansoni; Antimalarial drug; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-020-00230-x; https://doaj.org/article/7abfe2c972b848848b7a009fe796b5f0

Abstract Background Reports on the antischistosomal effect of several antimalarial drugs such as artesunate, mefloquine, and amodiaquine suggest that febrifugine, which exerts an antimalarial effect, can also be expected to possess antischistosomal potential. The present study investigates the antischistosomal effects of febrifugine. Methods In experiment 1, Schistosoma mansoni adult worm pairs were incubated in a medium alone as a control or supplemented with febrifugine at 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 μg/ml for 14 days. The morphology of the worms and the egg production of the female worms were observed simultaneously. In experiment 2, the incubation was conducted as in experiment 1, except that the febrifugine concentrations were reduced to 0.005, 0.01, and 0.02 μg/ml. In addition, S. mansoni adult worms were incubated with either 0.5 μg/ml febrifugine or none as a control for 5 days and stained with neutral red dye. Results Febrifugine significantly reduced the survival of S. mansoni male and female worms at concentrations of 0.02–0.5 μg/ml following incubation for 14 days and remarkably inhibited the daily egg output of the female worms. The non-treated male and female worms remained morphologically normal within the period of 14 days, whereas male and female worms treated with febrifugine at different concentrations gradually twisted and subsequently died. In addition, S. mansoni adult worms were incubated with either 0.5 μg/ml febrifugine or none as a control for 5 days and stained with neutral red dye. Non-treated male worms were morphologically normal and stained dark red with neutral red, while febrifugine-treated male worms appeared similar to those in the control group and were stained at a slightly lower level of dark red than the non-treated male worms. Non-treated female worms were morphologically normal, and their intestinal tract and vitellaria were stained deep red and dark red, respectively. In contrast, febrifugine-treated female worms were morphologically damaged, and their intestinal tract and ...