Sister-chromatid exchange frequencies induced by metrifonate in mammalian in vivo and in vitro systems.

Metrifonate is a drug widely used to cure several helminthiases in man including cysticercosis. In this study we determine its capacity to induce SCEs in vivo and in vitro using the fluorescence-plus-Giemsa technique. In the human lymphocyte system we tested 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 micrograms/ml added at 24 h of culture with a duration of 72 h. The results showed a SCE inducing effect with the exception of the first tested dose (10 micrograms/ml), but without a dose-response expression. A cell cycle progression delay was seen with the three highest dosages. In the mouse bone marrow we tested 30, 60 and 120 mg/kg in a 24-h experiment, and the results indicated an SCE increase only with the highest dose. No modification of the cell proliferation kinetics was observed.

Experimental treatment of cysticercosis with metrifonate.

Thirty cysticercous patients were treated with metrifonate in doses of 7.5 mg/kg given for five consecutive days, with intervals of two weeks until completion of six series. The symptoms originated by drug reaction were mild and transitory. The results obtained after treatment demonstrated the effectivity in cerebral ocular and musculocutaneous cysticercosis, corroborated by clinical evaluations like: neurological, ophtalmological and psychiatric examinations; routine laboratory tests; special examinations like indirect immunofluorescence and hemagglutination, immunoglobulin quantitation and cholinesterase activity and by special cabinet studies like electroencephalogram, retinal fluorangiography, axial computerized tomography. The postreatment observation time varied from six months to nine years; in no case reactivation was observed.

Tratamiento experimental con metrifonato en la cisticercosis. / Experimental treatment of cysticercosis with metrifonate

A 30 pacientes cisticercosos se les administro metrifonato a la dosis de 7,5 mg/kg de peso durante cinco dias consecutivos. Se repitio el tratamiento despues de dos semanas hasta completar un numero de seis series. La sintomatologia indeseable del medicamento fue transitoria en los casos que la presentaron, y cedio al terminar la serie. Los resultados obtenidos demostraron que el medicamento fue eficaz en la cisticercosis cerebral, ocular y musculocutanea, lo que se corroboro por evaluaciones clinicas como examenes neurologicos, oftalmologicos y psiquiatricos, examenes de laboratorio, examenes sistematicos y pruebas especiales como inmunofluorescencia y hemaglutinacion indirecta, cuantificacion de inmunoglobulinas y actividad enzimatica de colinesterasa, y por estudios especiales de gabinete que incluyeron electroencefalograma, fluoroangiografia retiniano y tomografia axial computarizada. El tiempo de observacion postratamiento vario entre seis meses y nueve anos,sin que en ningun caso se presentara reactivacion de la sintomatologia

Indirect immunofluorescense reaction in cysticercosis.

The indirect immunofluorescence reaction (IIR) was used to investigate cysticercosis in the serum of 604 subjects; control group I, with 100 subjects gave the following results: 2 per cent positive, 3 per cent weak positive and 95 per cent negative. Group II had 35 cases of cysticercosis, showing 94.28 per cent positive, 5.71 per cent weak positive and 0 per cent negative. In group III, with 100 patients, other diseases were studied showing 5 per cent positive, 7 per cent weak positive and 88 per cent negative. Group IV, with 364 cases with possible cysticercosis, showed 48.90 per cent positive, 10.98 per cent weak positive and 40.10 per cent negative. In group V, five cases of Taenia saginata parasitosis were studied showing a weak positive reading.