Assessment of antibilharzial and biochemical effects of triclabendazol in experimental schistomiasis

Schistomiasis is one of the major public health problems, and for more than two decades Praziquntel [PZQ] has remained the drug of choice for its treatment. However, studies proved that reliance on one drug raised the concern of development of tolerance or even resistance. The present work aimed at studying the effect of different schedules of the flukicidal drug triclabendazol [TCBZ], in a dose of 120mg/kg body weight, on Schistoma mansoni worm load, female fecundity and egg deposition in liver and intestine of infected mice, and at studying its biochemical toxic effects on some liver enzymes activities. The present findings indicated that the administration of TCBZ to mice infected with Egyptian S. mansoni strain was not effective except when the drug was given after the start of egg shedding in the stools. However, the anti-schistosomal effect was moderate as the results showed 50% reduction in worm burden and around 40% reduction in liver and intestinal egg loads. On the other hand, the impact on oogram pattern was not clear except regarding the percentage of dead ova which was much higher than the corresponding control. As regards the biochemical parameters studied, no change in the activity of all tested enzymes was observed. However, animals which received two doses of the drug after the start of egg shedding exhibited 24% reduction in alanine transaminase [ALT] activity. Our results indicated that, still, there is no alternative to prazquantel and there is an urgent need for discovery of new antischistosomal drugs. In addition studying different combinations and schedules of the already available drugs as artemether and TCBZ is recommended

Organochlorine contamination in fish from Red Sea, Egypt

Organochlorine compounds were analyzed in three species of fish [Bouri, Moza, and Mousa], from three Egyptian areas [Suez, Hurghada and Marsa Alam]. Although all fish studied are bottom or near-bottom feeders, remarkable variations in concentrations between studied species were noticed The MPI values recorded at the studied cities were in descending order: Bouri > Moza> Mousa. The highest concentration of pesticides was recorded in Suez Governorate fish [113.9 ng/g of dry weight] and the pp-DDE dominated over the other pp-isomers in all studied fish, while aldrin was the dominated in the studied cyclodiene compounds. However, hexachlorobenzene [HCB] was present in all the studied fish. Toxaphene was detected in all fish collected from Suez to Marsa Alam areas. Chlordane was not detected in fish from Marsa Alam. The level of organochlorine pesticides contamination in fish from the studied areas is relatively low and should not pose a health risk to consumers