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Samia William, Sanaa Botros, Magdi Ismail, Adel Farghally, Tim A. Day and James L. Bennett.
Parasitology 122:63-66
The aggressive use of praziquantel to combat schistosomiasis in Egpyt raises concern about the possible emergence of resistance. Eggs from Egyptian patients with praziquantel-resistant infections (not cured by three doses of praziquantel) have been used to establish infection-specific schistosome isolates in mice. The response of these worms to the drug was observed in vitro, in order to determine if the isolates obtained from these resistant infections were, in fact, less responsive to praziquantel. One of the hallmark effects of praziquantel on schistosomes in vitro is a disruption of the worm's outer surface, the tegument. Here, praziquantel-induced tegumental damage is observed in three schistosome isolates, two derived from resistant infections and one from an infection cured by a single dose. The isolates from the resistant infection weres less susceptible to praziquantel-induced tegumental damamge in vitro, suggesting that the worms are in some way less responsive to the drug.