Antifilarial activity of levamisole on Breinlia sergenti and its comparison with diethylcarbamazine
Zaman, V.; Natarajan, P.N.
Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 76(5): 126-130
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-5304 PMID: 4712298 Document Number: 66785
Slow lorises experimentally infected with Breinlia sergenti (420 to 510 microfilariae/20 mm3 of blood) were given levamisole hydrochloride and diethylcarbamazine citrate intragastrically. Both the drugs were given at concentrations doubling from one to 32 mg/kg body-weight on alternate days, and also in 4 successive daily doses of 50 mg/kg. In addition, levamisole was given as a single dose of 10 or 50 mg/kg. In all trials, levamisole was superior to diethylcarbamazine. White diethylcarbamazine was completely ineffective against adult worms, levamisole at higher doses exhibited a high level of activity. Levamisole was also highly effective against microfilariae, but with single dosing the microfilarial count tended to rise within a few days of the treatment. Repeated treatments gave the best results. Toxic effects were observed with 4 doses of 50 mg/kg levamisole.