Fasciola hepatica in vitro: increased susceptibility to fasciolicides in a defined serum-free medium
- 1 August 1987
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Parasitology
- Vol. 95 (1), 165-171
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0031182000057644
Abstract
The cidal properties of some phenolic, halogenated diphenyl, salicylanilide, benzimidazole and diaminophenoxyalkane anthelmintics, against 6-week-old worms of Fasciola hepatica were assessed in vitro. In a conventional fluke culture medium containing RPMI 1640, supplemented with serum with or without rabbit erythrocytes or pink-ghosts, only the halogenated diphenyl and salicylanilide compounds showed activity at concentrations equal to or less than 100 μm. However, when basal, serum and cell-free RPMI 1640 was used, all compounds other than diamphenethide were highly active, their minimum lethal concentrations being some 25–125 times lower under these conditions. The inclusion of rabbit liver microsomes in the basal culture medium resulted in diamphenethide exhibiting cidal activity equivalent to that seen when its free-amine active metabolite was assayed. The possibility that the activity of many of these compounds was masked in vitro because of their serum binding properties is discussed. Recommendations are made that in vitro screens for new fasciolicides should be carried out in serum-free medium and that additional replicates containing mammalian liver microsomes and liver cytosolic extracts be included as means for the metabolic activation of certain otherwise undetectable prodrugs.Keywords
This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
- Development and Behavior of Cultured Schistosoma mansoni Fed on Human Erythrocyte GhostsThe American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1984
- An in vitro screen for new fasciolicidal agentsZeitschrift für Parasitenkunde, 1984
- Diamphenethide-a new fasciolicide active against immature parasitesPesticide Science, 1973
- A New Drug for the Treatment of Fascioliasis in Sheep and CattleNature, 1966