Hepatocyte nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid changes after repeated administration of oxamniquine and amoscanate in experimental schistosomiasis mansoni

ABSTRACT

Hepatocyte deosoxiribonucleic acid [DNA] content of Schistosoma mansoni [S. Mansoni] infected, oxamniquine treated and infected amoscanate treated mice, were compared to the median 2C "diploid" value and the upper diploid limit [P 90] of a reference control of normal mice hepatocytes. Each of the test drugs was given in a dose of 100 mg/kg for 5 days. Drug doses were repeated weekly for 4 weeks. S. mansoni infection alone did not result in a significant change in the hepatocyte DNA content and the frequency distribution histogram was diploid as normal mice, apart from some scattering of DNA values a 16.7% aneuploidy. Both oxamniquine and amoscanate increased the hepatocyte DNA content significantly by 51.9 and 136.9% respectively.% aneuploidy was 83.3% for the former and 100% for the latter drug. DNA frequency distribution histogram was "triploid" in oxamniquine treated animals and "aneuploid" with erratic scattering of DNA values in amosoanate treated mice. Histopathological examination showed hyperchromatic nuclei and mitosis with both drugs. Moreover, a microscopic area of altered hepatocytes cellularity with identified mitosis was found in the liver of one of the oxamniquine treated animals