Evaluation of the antibilharzial activity of mirazid versus praziquantel against S. haematobium: an experimental study

Mirazid [myrrh] is a new herbal extract [oleo gum resin from the stem of the plant Commiphora molmol with claimed antibilharzial activity. LD16, LD50, and LD84 of Mirazid were determined in albino mice and were found to be 1984, 3138, and 4963 mg/kg respectively. The antibilharzial efficacy of Mirazid, administered orally at a dose of 250X5 mg/kg, in comparison to the schistosomicidal drug of choice praziquantel [PZQ], administered orally at a dose of 250X2 mg/kg, was evaluated in S. haematobium infected hamsters. Treatment was conducted 90 days post infection. Parasitological parameters expressing cure and hepatic histopathological changes were evaluated 4 weeks after treatment. Praziquantel treatment completely eradicated S.haematobium worms, caused disappearance of immature and mature egg stages, with 100% dead eggs. Hepatic and intestinal tissue egg loads were reduced by 79.2% and 99.7% respectively. Mirazid failed to induce any significant change in total number of worms, but induced significant reduction in the 1[st], 2[nd], and 3[rd] immature egg stages with increase in the number of the fourth stage, but this change was not reflected on the total number of immature eggs. Mirazid did not affect tissue egg load. The hepatic histopathological changes induced by S. haematobium infection were improved in praziquantel treated hamsters with reduction in granuloma number and size. Ova degeneration with regression of granulomatous inflammatory reaction was more manifested when compared to infected untreated controls. Mirazid did not results in evident regression of hepatic schistosomal pathology. In conclusion, praziquantel is still the drug of choice for treatment of S. haematobium, while Mrazid cannot substitute PZQ in the treatment of S. haematobium. Further trials using modified preparations may result in better antibilharzial efficacy of this novel herbal extract preparation

Clinical and parasitological stubies on the efficacy of mirazid in treatment of Schistosomiasis haematobium in Tatoon, Etsa center, El Fayoum Governorate

This study evaluated the efficacy of mirazid [Commiphora molmol] in the treatment of parasitologically and clinically and ultrasonography confirmed cases of Schistosomiasis haematobium in Tatoon Village. A total of 70 out of 885 individuals of both sexes [>15-60 years old] screened for S. haematobium infection was selected. They had a light infection [1-10 eggs/10 ml], moderate infection [10-100 eggs/10 ml] and heavy infection [>100/10 ml]. They were subjected to urine and stool analysis, renal function tests, clinical examination and abdomino-pelvic ultrasound. They were treated with mirazid as 10 mg/kg. However, eight of them were unable to swallow the drug. Out of the 62 Schistosomiasis haematobium patients, 57 were cured after two-month follow up and the cure rate reached 95.2% on the 3rd month post-mirazid treatment. The cure result was evaluated clinically, parasitologically and ultrasonographically

Effect of colchicine on schistosoma induced hepatic amyloidosis in Syrian golden hamsters

This study comprised 80 Syrian Gold hamsters, 70 of them were infected with Schistosoma mansoni and 10 uninfected hamsters served as negative controls. Of the schistosome infected hamsters, 10 served as positive controls [infected but untreated] and the rest [60 hamsters] received treatment for 9-week duration. In 30 hamsters treatment was given early [9 weeks after infection], before the appearance of hepatic amyloidosis, and in the other 30 hamsters treatment was given late [15 weeks after infection] after the appearance of hepatic amyloidosis. Each treatment group was subdivided into three subgroups [ten hamsters each], in which treatment was either colchicine alone, combined colchicine and praziquantel, or praziquantel alone. All hamsters were sacrificed nine weeks after treatment, liver biopsies were taken and evaluated semiquantitatively for amyloid deposits. In the group with combined therapy there is significant reduction in hepatic amyloid deposits, together with reduction of proteinuria serum bilirubin, SGPT with an increase of total serum protein and serum albumin. This improvement was nearly complete with early treatment and only partial when treatment was given late. When colchicine was given alone, a partial, but insignificant reduction of hepatic amyloid deposits was documented. It was concluded that, colchicine is effective for the prevention and reduction of schistosome induced hepatic amyloidosis in Syrian Gold hamsters

Effect of praziquantel on the prevalence of bilharziasis among children of an Egyptian village in the Nile Delta

The prevalence of schistosomiasis in Demooh, Dakahlia [in Nile Delia] in winter 1990 was 19.89% among the studied group of children [1367] aged from 5 to 15 years. The prevalence rate of S. mansoni was 17.84% and only 2.05% for S. haematobium. By using egg counting, 93.4% of the studied group were found to have light and moderate infections. The most affected age group was found to be from 12 to < 14 years of age in both bilharzial types. Infections among males was 2.6 times than in females in both bilharzial types. The effect of one dose of praziquantel on treatment of a sample of cases [145 child] was 100% cure rate for S. haematobium and 92 .25%. For S. mansoni, persistance in these few cases may be due to heavy infection or reexposure to infected water after treatment, there no sex difference in the cure rate. The most important side effects of the drug as reported by patients were, dizziness, abdominal pain and headache which were transient and disappeared after few hours