Nitazoxanide compared with quinfamide and mebendazole in the treatment of helminthic infections and intestinal protozoa in children.
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The present study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of nitazoxanide compared with that of quinfamide, mebendazole, or both in the treatment of intestinal protozoa and helminthic infections. A total of 677 stool specimens from children aged 2-12 years living in 3 communities of Colima, Mexico, were analyzed in order to detect the presence of cysts, trophozoites, eggs, or larvae of intestinal protozoa or helminths. A total of 275 infected children were enlisted in a double-blind controlled study and randomly assigned to one of 2 treatment groups: Group A, nitazoxanide (200 mg for 3 days) and Group B, quinfamide (100 mg for 1 day), mebendazole (200 mg for 3 days), or both. A posttreatment fecal examination was conducted on Day 14 from treatment initiation. In Group A (n = 143), the parasitosis eradication rate was superior to that of Group B (n = 132). However, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). (+info)
Mebendazole elicits a potent antitumor effect on human cancer cell lines both in vitro and in vivo.
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We have found that mebendazole (MZ), a derivative of benzimidazole, induces a dose- and time-dependent apoptotic response in human lung cancer cell lines. In this study, MZ arrested cells at the G(2)-M phase before the onset of apoptosis, as detected by using fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. MZ treatment also resulted in mitochondrial cytochrome c release, followed by apoptotic cell death. Additionally, MZ appeared to be a potent inhibitor of tumor cell growth with little toxicity to normal WI38 and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. When administered p.o. to nu/nu mice, MZ strongly inhibited the growth of human tumor xenografts and significantly reduced the number and size of tumors in an experimental model of lung metastasis. In assessing angiogenesis, we found significantly reduced vessel densities in MZ-treated mice compared with those in control mice. These results suggest that MZ is effective in the treatment of cancer and other angiogenesis-dependent diseases. (+info)
The anthelmintic drug mebendazole induces mitotic arrest and apoptosis by depolymerizing tubulin in non-small cell lung cancer cells.
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Microtubules have a critical role in cell division, and consequently various microtubule inhibitors have been developed as anticancer drugs. In this study, we assess mebendazole (MZ), a microtubule-disrupting anthelmintic that exhibits a potent antitumor property both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of lung cancer cell lines with MZ caused mitotic arrest, followed by apoptotic cell death with the feature of caspase activation and cytochrome c release. MZ induces abnormal spindle formation in mitotic cancer cells and enhances the depolymerization of tubulin, but the efficacy of depolymerization by MZ is lower than that by nocodazole. Oral administration of MZ in mice elicited a strong antitumor effect in a s.c. model and reduced lung colonies in experimentally induced lung metastasis without any toxicity when compared with paclitaxel-treated mice. We speculate that tumor cells may be defective in one mitotic checkpoint function and sensitive to the spindle inhibitor MZ. Abnormal spindle formation may be the key factor determining whether a cell undergoes apoptosis, whereas strong microtubule inhibitors elicit toxicity even in normal cells. (+info)
Outbreak of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with mebendazole and metronidazole use among Filipino laborers in Taiwan.
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OBJECTIVES: This study sought to identify the risk factors associated with an outbreak of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) among Filipino laborers in Taiwan. METHODS: Forty-six SJS/TEN patients were matched to 92 controls according to month of arrival in Taiwan, sex, and age. RESULTS: The odds ratio for development of SJS/TEN was 9.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.9, 23.9) among workers who had used both metronidazole and mebendazole sometime in the preceding 6 weeks. In addition, a gradient increase in the occurrence of SJS/TEN was found with an increasing level of exposure to metronidazole. CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak highlights the risk of SJS/TEN resulting from the use of both metronidazole and mebendazole and the need for control measures. (+info)
Combined treatment with interleukin-12 and mebendazole lessens the severity of experimental eosinophilic meningitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in ICR mice.
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Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the major cause of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis cases in Taiwan. Mice were orally infected with 35 infective larvae. One group of mice were given a single dose of mebendazole (20 mg/kg of body weight) per os at various times and examined at 14 days postinfection (dpi) for worm recovery rate and pathological studies. A 94 to 97% reduction in worm recovery was observed when medication was given at 4 to 5 dpi. Sections of the brains revealed that untreated infected mice developed typical severe eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. Meninges of these mice were thickened by massive infiltration of eosinophils, whereas only moderate pathological change was observed in the brains of mice that were treated with mebendazole at 4 dpi. Infected mice that received daily injections of 10 ng of interleukin-12 (IL-12) only for various numbers of days also exhibited moderate pathological changes in the brain. Eosinophil infiltration in the brains of these mice was low, and severe mechanical injuries in the parenchyma were observed. Treatment with mebendazole in combination with IL-12, however, resulted in low levels of worm recovery and dramatic lessening of the eosinophilic meningitis. A reverse transcriptase PCR assay of mRNA expression in the brain also revealed that the use of IL-12 had shifted the immune response of the mouse from Th2 type to Th1 type. This study could be used in developing strategies for the treatment of human angiostrongylosis. (+info)
Efficacy of mebendazole and levamisole alone or in combination against intestinal nematode infections after repeated targeted mebendazole treatment in Zanzibar.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of and resistance to mebendazole (500 mg) and levamisole (40 or 80 mg), alone or in combination, for the treatment of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm infections on Pemba Island - an area exposed to periodic school-based mebendazole treatment since 1994. METHODS: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial was carried out in 914 children enrolled from the first and fifth grades of primary schools. Stool samples collected at baseline and 21 days after treatment were examined by the Kato-Katz technique to assess the prevalence and intensity of helminth infection. FINDINGS: Efficacies of mebendazole and levamisole as single treatments against intestinal nematode infections were comparable with those in previous trials, but mebendazole treatment of hookworm infections gave significantly lower cure (7.6%) and egg reduction (52.1%) rates than reported in a study undertaken before the beginning of periodic chemotherapy (cure rate, 22.4%; egg reduction rate, 82.4%). Combined treatment with mebendazole and levamisole had a significantly higher efficacy against hookworm infections (cure rate, 26.1%; egg reduction rate, 88.7%) than either drug given alone. No difference in mebendazole efficacy was found in children who had been treated repeatedly compared with those who had not been treated previously. CONCLUSION: The overall efficacy of mebendazole against hookworm infections after periodic chemotherapy is reduced. The efficacy of benzimidazoles in chemotherapy-based control programmes should be monitored closely. Combined treatment with mebendazole and levamisole may be useful as a tool to delay the development of benzimidazole resistance. (+info)
Percutaneous sonographically guided treatment of hydatid cysts in sheep: direct injection of mebendazole and albendazole.
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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the scolicidal effect of intracystic injection of benzimidazolic solutions in naturally infected sheep with hydatid disease. METHODS: Twenty-four sheep with 37 hydatid cysts were included in this study for percutaneous treatment with benzimidazolic solutions. The animals were divided into 3 groups: group I, treatment group with mebendazole; group II, treatment group with albendazole; and group III, control group with distilled water. All solutions were given percutaneously under sonographic guidance. Cyst contents were aspirated with a needle, and then scolicidal solutions were injected into the cysts; reaspiration was not done. Routine follow-up sonographic images were taken on the 15th day after treatment, then once per month for 3 months, and then at 3-month intervals thereafter. At the 1-month follow-up, the percutaneous aspirate yielded orange juice-like material containing necrotic debris without living scolices. RESULTS: Sonography showed a reduction in cyst size in the benzimidazolic groups (groups I and II) and progressive changes in echo patterns. An anaphylactic reaction was observed during the procedure in 1 animal. After 12 months of sonographic follow-up, the animals in all groups were killed, and macroscopic and microscopic changes in tissue samples were evaluated. At autopsy, no cysts with living scolices were found in the benzimidazolic groups, and the appearance of the treated cysts was different from that of those in the control group. Microscopic examination showed the degeneration, necrosis, and thickening of the cyst walls in the treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intracystic injection of benzimidazolic solutions as scolicidal agents may be used for percutaneous treatment of hepatic hydatid cysts in sheep. (+info)
An outbreak of trichinellosis due to consumption of bear meat infected with Trichinella nativa, in 2 northern Saskatchewan communities.
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In June 2000, bear meat infected with Trichinella nativa was consumed by 78 individuals in 2 northern Saskatchewan communities. Interviews and blood collections were performed on exposed individuals at the onset of the outbreak and 7 weeks later. All exposed individuals were treated with mebendazole or albendazole, and symptomatic patients received prednisone. Confirmed cases were more likely to have consumed dried meat, rather than boiled meat (P<.001). Seventy-four percent of patients completed the recommended therapy, and 87% of patients who were followed up in August 2000 reported complete resolution of symptoms. This outbreak of trichinellosis was caused by consumption of inadequately cooked bear meat contaminated with T. nativa. Apart from clinical symptomatology, blood counts, creatine kinase levels, serology test results, and analysis of the remaining bear meat helped establish the diagnosis. Treatment with antiparasitic drugs and prednisone was beneficial in limiting the severity and duration of the illness. (+info)