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Time course of the effect of praziquantel onSchistosoma mansoni attachment in vitro: comparison with its effects on worm length and motility

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Abstract

We report herein that praziquantel inhibits the capacity of adult maleSchistosoma mansoni to attach to the bottom of a glass dish and produces a diminution of worm length and motility, acting under a similar concentration and time dependency. After removal of 1 μM praziquantel from the medium, the worms progressively recuperated their initial length and motility without recovering their attachment capability. The absence of calcium or presence of 1 μM verapamil did not change the praziquantel-induced effect on worm attachment, causing only a transient decrease in worm length and motility. The present data indicate that the diminution of motility induced by praziquantel results from the progressive contraction of the longitudinal musculature of the worm. In contrast, the loss of attachment should not be causally related to the contraction of the worm since these two praziquantel-induced effects have distinct patterns of response under some experimental conditions.

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da Silva, S.P., Noël, F. Time course of the effect of praziquantel onSchistosoma mansoni attachment in vitro: comparison with its effects on worm length and motility. Parasitol Res 81, 543–548 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00932019

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00932019

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