The immunological aspects of praziquantel in unsensitized mice with experimentally induced schistosome pulmonary granuloma

Abstract

The effects of praziquantel on cellular and humoral immune responses were studied in Swiss Albino mice and compared with the effects of potassium antimony tartrate. The experimental animals were antigenically primed by intravenous injection of Schistosoma mansoni eggs; the test drugs were given one day before egg injection and their effects monitored 16 days later. The size of the experimentally-induced pulmonary granulomata, immediate and delayed antigen-induced foot pad swelling, in vitro macrophage migration inhibition and the percentage of lymphocytes forming antibody and complement-dependent rosettes with erythrocytes (% EAC-R) were parameters used to assess the effect of the drugs. Praziquantel suppressed the size of pulmonary granulomata and the immediate and delayed foot pad reaction. Macrophage migration inhibition and the percentage of lymphocytes forming EAC-rosettes were not significantly affected. Tartar emetic was more effective as an immunosuppressant drug in these tests than praziquantel.