Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (Nov 2013)

Imatinib activity on Schistosoma mansoni

  • Naftale Katz,
  • Flavia Fernanda Bubulo Couto,
  • Neusa Araujo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0074-0276130207
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 108, no. 7
pp. 850 – 853

Abstract

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Imatinib, a drug used for treatment of human chronic myeloid leukaemia, due to its activity against protein kinases, has been also evaluated in vitro against Schistosoma mansoni showing high schistosomicidal activity. In the present experiments imatinib activity in vitro was confirmed at the doses of 25 µM, 50 µM and 100 µM. The first drug activity observed with the lower dose was interruption of egg-laying and with the higher dosages was the death of the worms. In mice infected with S. mansoni no activity was found even with 1,000 mg/kg/day, 500 mg/kg/day, single oral dose or when administered for three consecutive days. This is another example of the difference of results related to in vitro and in vivo trials using S. mansoni worms.

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