Efficacy of praziquantel (Cesocide injection) by intramuscular (I.M.) route against cestode infections was evaluated. Total 93 domestic or laboratory animals such as dogs, cats, rats, mice, goats, deers and chickens were used. Animals were infected with Dipylidium caninum, Spirometra sp., Taenia pisiformis, Taenia taeniaeformis, Hymenolepis nana, Moniezia expansa, Moniezia sp. or Raillietina sp. A single dose of praziquantel, 6 mg/kg of body weight, was highly effective (97.9%) against cestodes of various kinds disregarding the host species or their intensity of infection. At high dose above 6 mg/kg, the cure rate was 100%. All the cestodes treated were expelled from the host within 48 hours. The discharged proglottids were damaged severely except Hymenolepis nana and Moniezia expansa. Intramuscular injection of this drug evoked a brief pain response in a dog, but no other side reactions were observed.
parasitology-helminth-cestoda ; Dipylidium caninum ; Spirometra sp. ; Taenia pisiformis ; Taenia taeniaeformis ; Hymenolepis nana ; Moniezia expansa ; Moniezia sp. ; Raillietina sp. ; dog ; cat ; rat ; mouse ; goat ; deer ; chicken ; chemotherapy ; praziquantel ; intramuscular injection ; animals ; tapeworms ; cestodes

Anti-Clonorchis IgG antibody levels in serum were observed by ELISA in 129 egg positive cases and in 25 controls. The antibody levels were 0.063 to 1.216 (0.325+/-0.202)in clonorchiasis cases and 0.078 to 0.670 (0.255+/-0.133) in controls. The difference was statistically significant. However, serological diagnosis of clonorchiasis was not satisfactory in lightly infected cases because of low levels of specific IgG antibody. The antibody levels were well correlated with EPG. Changes of the IgG antibody levels were not significant 12-14 days, 4 weeks and 8-9 weeks after praziquantel treatment. Seven and 13 months after treatment, the IgG antibody levels were lowered significantly. The period for serologically negative conversion after praziquantel treatment was between 9 weeks and 7 months in human clonorchiasis.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Clonorchis sinensis ; clonorchiasis ; chemotherapy-praziquantel ; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ; IgG

The effect of praziquantel on P. westermani exposed in vitro was observed by stereomicroscope, light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Following results were found. The worms incubated in 0.01 micro-g/ml praziquantel were moving after 26-hour incubation. However, all of them were immobilized immediately after incubation in solutions over 0.1 micro-g/ml concentration. All of the exposed worms showed severe vacuolization not only in tegument but in subtegument, intestine, ovary, testis, Mehlis' gland and excretory bladder. Vacuoles in tegument burst out to form craters. As incubation time went on, tegumental structure was disintegrated severely. The worms exposed to praziquantel were observed to be immobilized and be vacuolized of all tissues. Disintegration of reproductive organs suggests that praziquantel have suppressive effect on egg production when the flukes are not killed. The drug effects were found more related with incubation time than with drug concentration.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Paragonimus westermani ; electronmicroscopy ; chemotherapy ; praziquantel

The rabbits were infected with Clnorchis sinensis and were treated with praziquantel at the dose of 50 mg/kg x 2 x 2 days afer 1, 2, 4, 8 weeks and 7 months from the infection. Their livers were observed histopathologically 1, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment. The findings are summarized as below: The changes of the liver in control rabbits were relatively mild until 2 weeks after infection. However, widening and thickening of bile ducts, proliferation of biliary epithelium and periductal fibrosis were moderate after 4 weeks from infection and those changes were severe after 8 weeks and 7months. Goblet cell metaplasia was found after 8 weeks from infection. The mild changes of 2-week infection group were completely recovered by 4 weeks after the treatment. In the groups of 4 or more weeks after infection, the changes of bile ducts became milder in the degree after the treatment, but were still found 12 weeks after the treatment. As the infection duration was passed, more severe changes were observed after the treatment. In this context, it is concluded that the liver changes of acute clonorchiasis in the early two weeks are reversible by treatment while chronic biliary epithelial changes are irreversible. Therefore, early treatment should be recommended as possible to minimize the remaining histopathological changes of liver in clonorchiasis.
parasitolgy-helminth-trematoda ; Clonorchis sinensis ; liver ; clonorchiasis ; chemotherapy ; praziquantel ; pathology ; rabbit

/A total of 69 patients of confirmed neurocysticercosis was followed serologically by ELISA up to 22 months after praziquantel treatment. The intervals and numbers of follow-up were variable by patients. Serially collected samples of serum and CSF were examined simultaneously for their specific IgG antibody levels by ELISA, using cystic fluid, saline extracts of bladder wall and scolex as antigen. Within 4 months after praziquantel treatment, the antibody levels were elevated temporarily in both serum and CSF in most patients. In some cases antibody levels exhibited steady declining tendency after the treatment. Concomitant administration of dexamethasone appeared to suppress the elevation of antibody levels. The rate of mean absorbance of antibody changed more in serum than in CSF. The rate of elevation was greater in antibodies to parenchymal antigens than that to cystic fluid, but absolute difference of antibody levels was greater in anitbody to cystic fluid. Previously negative samples for IgG antibody may become positive after praziquantel treatment, which could be used as a complementary tool(provocation test) in serodiagnosis. One month was considered to be sufficient interval for the follow-up test for that purpose. In the follow-up of up to 22 months, only few cases of chronic neurocysticercosis showed declining tendency of IgG antibody levels below negative range. During acute encephalitic attacks in chronic patients, IgG antibody to parenchymal antigen were elevated in CSF temporarily. These results indicated that serologic follow-up of every year was recommendable to differentiate the cured patients from chronic patients with slowly calcifying lesions.
parasitology-helminth-cestoda ; Taenia solium ; cysticercus ; brain ; immunology ; praziquantel-chemotherapy ; praziquantel

This special issue is devoted to a review of the current state of knowledge of clonorchiasis. Sections deal with: the biology of Clonorchis sinensis; geographical distribution, with particular regard to Korea; epidemiology; pathogenesis; clinical features; diagnosis; prevention and control; chemotherapy.
review ; parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Clonorchis sinensis ; clonorchiasis ; epidemiology ; pathogenesis ; liver ; diagnosis ; chemotherapy ; praziquantel ; control ; hetol ; di

An experimental study was performed to observe the in vivo effects of praziquantel on the light and scanning electron microscopic morphology of Fibricola seoulensis. The metacercariae were obtained from the snakes and 1,000 in each number was orally given to total 15 albino rats; 5 controls and 10 treatment group. Seven days later the 10 rats were treated with 10 mg/kg praziquantel and sacrificed 1-24 hours later to search for the worms from their small intestines. The major light microscopic changes in the drug-exposed worms were early contraction followed by relaxation of especially their forebody, vacuolization of the tegument and subtegumental parechymal layers, and narrowing of the intestinal lumens. The scanning electron microscopic findings were characterized by formation of numerous blebs followed by rupture and subsequent destruction of their whole tegument. These results show that the change in worm body is not confined to the tegument but extends to deeper parechymal portions and also occurs in their intestines. It is suggested that the drug uptake by the worms should be either through their tegument or through the digestive tract.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Fibricola seoulensis ; chemotherapy-praziquantel ; electron microscopy

The therapeutic effect of praziquantel on Fibricola seoulensis infection were studied by experimental infection of albino rats with the metacercariae obtained from the snakes. Total 51 albino rats were infected each with 500 or 1,000 metacercariae in number through intragastric tubes. One or four weeks later the rats were treated with 1, 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg sigle dose of praziquantel and sacrificed after 3 days or 10-120 minutes to search for the worms in their small intestine. The worms recovery rate at 3 days after the treatment was 10.7% in 1 mg/kg does group and 0.03-0.2% in 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg group, while that of untreated control was 51.3%. The minimum effective dose to treat F. seoulensis infection in the rats is considered to be 5 mg/kg in sigle dose. By observing the distribution pattern of worms in the small intestine after the treatment, dislodgment of the worms froms the duodenum, thier normal habitat, to the lower portion was recognizable within as early as 10 minutes. The majority of worms was found to have descended to the ileo-caecal portion after 60-120 minutes.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Fibricola seoulensis ; chemotherapy-praziquantel

A mass fecal examination was performed in Seoul, Korea from December 1983 to March 1984 and 15 egg positive cases of Fibricola seoulensis were discovered. They were treated with praziquantel(Distocide) 20 mg/kg single dose and magnesium salt for purgation. The adult worms of F. seoulensis were collected from 6 of them. The number of the flukes ranged 1-78 by the case. The cases had no clinical mainfestation at all. They were all Korean males in twenties, and had the histories of eating the roast or raw snakes or frogs. Fibricoliasis is expected to be prevalent among the snake-eaters in Korea. Further cases will be detected by sedulous differentiation of thin-shelled immature operculated eggs of 0.081-0.102mmn length. Praziquantel seems to be an excellent chemotherapeutic for fibricoliasis.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; case report ; epidemiology ; Fibricola seoulensis ; chemotherapy-praziquantel ; magnesium sulfate

Two human cases of Heterophyes heterophyes nocens infection were proved by identifying adult worms after treatment with bithionol or praziquantel in 1983 in Korea. They are 37 (Case 1) and 24-year old (Case 2) males whose residence or native village is a southern coastal area in Kohung-gun, Chollanam-do. The Case 1 had the gastrointestinal symptoms such as epigastric pain and indigestion, and the Case 2 heart problems such as arrhythmia and ventricular premature beat in EKG and digestive symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. After the treatments, 35 and 67 specimens of H. heterophyes nocens respectively were collected from the diarrheal stools through stereomicroscopy. The Case 1 was concommitantly infected with Clonorchis sinensis and the case 2 with 3 other kinds of heterophyid flukes and with Diphyllobothrium latum. The cases said to have eaten raw brackish water fish such as mullets (Mugil cephalus), perches (Lateolabrax japonicus) and gobies (Acanthogobius flavimanus) which are the intermediate hosts of H. heterophyes nocens in Korea.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Heterophyes heterophyes nocens ; Clonorchis sinensis ; case report ; bithionol ; praziquantel ; chemotherapy ; Mugil cephalus ; Lateolabrax japonicus ; Acanthogobius flavimanus