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Mode of Action of Ivermectin

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Book cover Ivermectin and Abamectin

Abstract

The anthelmintic activity of the avermectins was first described in 1979 (Burg et al. 1979; Egerton et al. 1979; Miller et al. 1979). The mode of action of these compounds, however, has remained elusive. Identifying the mode of action is all the more difficult because the avermectins have been studied in so many different model systems with an array of experimental protocols. For example, direct injection of avermectin (AVM) into Ascaris suum results in a rapid paralysis that is neither flaccid nor rigid; incubation of the free living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, with AVM results in slow-onset rigid paralysis; and incubation of Haemonchous contortus ex vivo with AVM has no observable effect. Exactly why AVM affects these 3 AVM-sensitive nematodes differently is unknown, but it may reflect in part the drug’s ability to reach its site of action. The problems in identifying the mechanism(s) by which the avermectins work have been further confounded by several additional factors: the drug acts at multiple sites; various target species have different sensitivities to the drug; and avermectins have poor solubility in aqueous solutions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemical Parasitology, Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey, 07065, USA

    M. J. Turner Ph.D. & J. M. Schaeffer Ph.D.

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  1. M. J. Turner Ph.D.
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  2. J. M. Schaeffer Ph.D.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research, Rahway, N.J., 07065, USA

    William C. Campbell

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Turner, M.J., Schaeffer, J.M. (1989). Mode of Action of Ivermectin. In: Campbell, W.C. (eds) Ivermectin and Abamectin. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3626-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3626-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8184-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-3626-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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