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AAPS PharmSciTech Jun 2024Only few excipients are known to be suitable as pelletization aids. In this study, the potential use of croscarmellose sodium (CCS) as pelletization aid was...
Only few excipients are known to be suitable as pelletization aids. In this study, the potential use of croscarmellose sodium (CCS) as pelletization aid was investigated. Furthermore, the impact of cations on extrusion-spheronization (ES) of CCS was studied and different grades of CCS were tested. The influence of different cations on the swelling of CCS was investigated by laser diffraction. Mixtures of CCS with lactose monohydrate as filler with or without the inclusion of different cations were produced. The mixtures were investigated by mixer torque rheometry and consequently extruded and spheronized. Resulting pellets were analyzed by dynamic image analysis. In addition, mixtures of different CCS grades with dibasic calcium phosphate anhydrous (DP) and a mixture with praziquantel (PZQ) as filler were investigated. Calcium and magnesium cations caused a decrease of the swelling of CCS and influenced the use of CCS as pelletization aid since they needed to be included for successful ES. Aluminum, however, led to an aggregation of the CCS particles and to failure of extrusion. The inclusion of cations decreased the uptake of water by the mixtures which also reduced the liquid-to-solid-ratio (L/S) for successful ES. This was shown to be dependent on the amount of divalent cations in the mixture. With DP or PZQ as filler, no addition of cations was necessary for a successful production of pellets, however the optimal L/S for ES was dependent on the CCS grade used. In conclusion, CCS can be used as a pelletization aid.
Topics: Excipients; Particle Size; Drug Compounding; Calcium Phosphates; Lactose; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Cations; Praziquantel; Magnesium
PubMed: 38937406
DOI: 10.1208/s12249-024-02864-0 -
PloS One 2024The economic impact of gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections on livestock production is well documented worldwide. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that...
The economic impact of gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections on livestock production is well documented worldwide. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that parasite colonization induces significant changes in the GI tract environment and, therefore, in the landscape where the microbiota and parasites occur. Understanding the interactions between bacterial and parasite populations in the digestive tract of livestock may be useful to design parasite control strategies based on microbiota modification. The aims of this work were to investigate the impact of the oxytetracycline-mediated manipulation of the gut microbial community on the composition of GI nematode populations in naturally infected sheep and to explore changes in the GI microbial communities after nematode population treatment with the anthelmintic compound monepantel. Extensive manipulation of the GI microbiota with a therapeutic dose of the long-acting oxytetracycline formulation did not induce significant changes in the GI nematode burden. The gut microbiota of treated animals returned to control levels 17 days after treatment, suggesting strong resilience of the sheep microbial community to antibiotic-mediated microbiota perturbation. A significant decrease of the bacterial Mycoplasmataceae family (Log2FC = -4, Padj = 0.001) and a marked increase of the Methanobacteriaceae family (Log2FC = 2.9, Padj = 0.018) were observed in the abomasum of sheep receiving the monepantel treatment. While a comprehensive evaluation of the interactions among GI mycoplasma, methanobacteria and nematode populations deserves further assessment, the bacteria-nematode population interactions should be included in future control programs in livestock production. Understanding how bacteria and parasites may influence each other in the GI tract environment may substantially contribute to the knowledge of the role of microbiota composition in nematode parasite establishment and the role of the parasites in the microbiota composition.
Topics: Animals; Sheep; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Sheep Diseases; Nematode Infections; Nematoda; Oxytetracycline; Gastrointestinal Tract; Aminoacetonitrile; Bacteria
PubMed: 38935803
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306390 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jun 2024Lymphatic filariasis (LF) remains a significant global issue. To eliminate LF as a public health problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends multiple rounds...
BACKGROUND
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) remains a significant global issue. To eliminate LF as a public health problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends multiple rounds of mass drug administration (MDA). In certain scenarios, including when elimination targets have not been met with two-drug MDA, triple-drug MDA (using ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine and albendazole) is recommended. In this study, we report on antigen (Ag) and microfilaria (Mf) prevalence in eight primary sampling units (PSUs) in Samoa 4.5 years after one round of triple-drug MDA.
METHODOLOGY
In 2023, community surveys were conducted in eight PSUs that had been surveyed previously in 2018 (between 1.5 and 3.5 months post triple-drug MDA) and 2019 (six to eight-months post triple-drug MDA). Fifteen houses were randomly selected in each PSU with household members aged ≥ 5 years invited to participate. Blood samples were tested for Ag and Mf.
PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Ag-positive participants were observed in six of the eight PSUs, and Ag prevalence was significantly above the 1% threshold in four PSUs. The presence of Mf-positive participants in five PSUs confirms the presence of residual active infections.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
This study provides evidence of persistent LF transmission in Samoa 4.5 years after one round of triple-drug MDA, confirming that one round was insufficient for interruption of transmission in this setting. Our findings highlight the negative impact of delaying MDA rounds, for example, due to public health emergencies.
Topics: Elephantiasis, Filarial; Humans; Mass Drug Administration; Albendazole; Samoa; Diethylcarbamazine; Ivermectin; Male; Female; Adult; Filaricides; Middle Aged; Adolescent; Animals; Young Adult; Child; Prevalence; Antigens, Helminth; Drug Therapy, Combination; Child, Preschool; Wuchereria bancrofti; Aged
PubMed: 38935622
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012236 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2024Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects the lymphatic system of humans. The major etiologic agent is a nematode called Wuchereria bancrofti,... (Review)
Review Meta-Analysis
Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects the lymphatic system of humans. The major etiologic agent is a nematode called Wuchereria bancrofti, but Brugia malayi and Brugia timoriare sometimes encountered as causative agents. Mosquitoes are the vectors while humans the definitive hosts respectively. The burden of the disease is heavier in Nigeria than in other endemic countries in Africa. This occurs with increasing morbidity and mortality at different locations within the country, the World Health Organization recommended treatments for lymphatic filariasis include the use of Albendazole (400mg) twice per year in co-endemic areas with loa loa, Ivermectin (200mcg/kg) in combination with Albendazole (400mg) in areas that are co-endemic with onchocerciasis, ivermectin (200mcg/kg) with diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) (6mg/kg) and albendazole (400mg) in areas without onchocerciasis. This paper covered a systematic review, meta-analysis, and scoping review on lymphatic filariasis in the respective geopolitical zones within the country. The literature used was obtained through online search engines including PubMed and Google Scholar with the heading "lymphatic filariasis in the name of the state", Nigeria. This review revealed an overall prevalence of 11.18% with regional spread of Northwest (1.59%), North Central and North East, (4.52%), South West (1.26%), and South-South with South East (3.81%) prevalence. The disease has been successfully eliminated in Argungu local government areas (LGAs) of Kebbi State, Plateau, and Nasarawa States respectively. Most clinical manifestations (31.12%) include hydrocele, lymphedema, elephantiasis, hernia, and dermatitis. Night blood samples are appropriate for microfilaria investigation. Sustained MDAs, the right testing methods, early treatment of infected cases, and vector control are useful for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis for morbidity management and disability prevention in the country. Regional control strategies, improved quality monitoring of surveys and intervention programs with proper records of morbidity and disability requiring intervention are important approaches for the timely elimination of the disease in Nigeria.
Topics: Elephantiasis, Filarial; Humans; Nigeria; Animals; Wuchereria bancrofti; Filaricides; Albendazole; Neglected Diseases; Ivermectin; Brugia malayi
PubMed: 38933431
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2024.47.142.39746 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024Baseline mapping showed that schistosomiasis was highly/moderately endemic in nine districts in Sierra Leone. Mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel started in...
BACKGROUND
Baseline mapping showed that schistosomiasis was highly/moderately endemic in nine districts in Sierra Leone. Mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel started in 2009, and after multiple rounds of treatment, an impact assessment was conducted in 2016 followed by a second re-assessment in 2022 using cluster sampling to provide more granular data for refining chiefdom (sub-district) treatment strategies.
METHODS
On average, 20 rural villages were systematically selected per district by probability proportional to population size across the nine districts. Surveys were conducted in schools, and 24 school children aged between 5 and 14 years were randomly selected, with an equal number of boys and girls. One stool sample and one urine sample were collected per child. Two Kato-Katz slides were examined per stool for infection. Hemastix strips were used as a proxy for infection with urine filtration used for egg counts on hematuria-positive samples.
RESULTS
In total, 4,736 stool samples and 4,618 urine samples were examined across 200 schools in 125 chiefdoms. Overall, the prevalence of was 16.3% (95% CI: 15.3-17.4%), while the overall prevalence of was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.6-2.4%) by hematuria. The prevalence of heavy infections for and was 1.5% (95% CI: 1.1-1.9%) and 0.02% (95% CI: 0.0-0.14%), respectively. Among 125 chiefdoms surveyed, the overall schistosomiasis prevalence was <10% in 65 chiefdoms, 10-49.9% in 47 chiefdoms, and ≥ 50% in 13 chiefdoms. There was a mixed relationship between schistosomiasis in school children and WASH access in schools.
CONCLUSION
Sierra Leone has made significant progress in reducing schistosomiasis prevalence across the country after a decade of MDA intervention. However, high prevalence remains in some hotspot chiefdoms. The next steps are for the national program to investigate and address any potential issues such as low coverage or poor knowledge of schistosomiasis risk behaviors and, where appropriate, consider broadening to community-wide treatment in hotspot chiefdoms or communities.
Topics: Humans; Sierra Leone; Child; Female; Male; Adolescent; Child, Preschool; Praziquantel; Feces; Animals; Mass Drug Administration; Prevalence; Anthelmintics; Schistosomiasis; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Rural Population; Endemic Diseases; Cluster Analysis; Schistosoma haematobium
PubMed: 38932788
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1415486 -
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Gastrointestinal parasitism is a major health and welfare problem in ruminants. Synthetic chemical anthelmintic drugs have led to the emergence of resistance in...
Gastrointestinal parasitism is a major health and welfare problem in ruminants. Synthetic chemical anthelmintic drugs have led to the emergence of resistance in gastrointestinal strongyles, inducing the search for alternatives to control the infections that affect ruminants. The objective of this work was to evaluate the anthelmintic potential of plant extracts against Rudolphi. Three plants of the Guadeloupean biodiversity, L., L. and spp., were selected based on their high polyphenolic content and natural abundance. The phytochemistry of plants was explored, a biological assay against the parasite was carried out, and several hypotheses about the way of action were proposed by an innovative electrochemical screening method.
PubMed: 38931441
DOI: 10.3390/ph17060774 -
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Mebendazole () is a benzimidazole carbamate anthelmintic used worldwide for the treatment and prevention of parasitic disorders in animals and humans. A large number of...
Mebendazole () is a benzimidazole carbamate anthelmintic used worldwide for the treatment and prevention of parasitic disorders in animals and humans. A large number of in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that also has anticancer activity in multiple types of cancers. After oral administration, the phenylketone moiety of is rapidly reduced to the hydroxyl group to form the chiral hydroxy metabolite (). To the best of our knowledge, there is no information in the literature on the stereochemical course of transformation and the anthelmintic and antitumor activity of individual enantiomers of . In the present study, we describe in detail the direct HPLC resolution of on a 100 mm × 4.6 mm Chirapak IG-3 column packed with 3 μm silica particles containing amylose (3-chloro-5-methylphenylcarbamate) as a selector. At 25 °C and using pure methanol as the mobile phase, the enantioseparation and resolution factors were 2.38 and 6.13, respectively. These conditions were scaled up at a semi-preparative scale using a 250 mm × 10 mm Chiralpak IG column to isolate multi-milligram amounts of both enantiomeric forms of the chiral metabolite. The chiroptical properties of the collected enantiomers were determined and, through a theoretical study, were related to the more stable conformations of MBZ-OH. The first and second eluted enantiomers were dextrorotatory and levorotatory, respectively, in dimethylformamide solution. Finally, by recording the retention factors of the enantiomers as the water content in the water-acetonitrile mobile phases was progressively varied, U-shaped retention maps were generated, indicating a dual and competitive hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and reversed-phase liquid chromatography retention mechanism on the Chirapak IG-3 chiral stationary phase.
PubMed: 38931363
DOI: 10.3390/ph17060696 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jun 2024Fasciolosis is an important economic disease of livestock. There is a global interest in the development of protective vaccines since the current anthelmintic therapy is...
Fasciolosis is an important economic disease of livestock. There is a global interest in the development of protective vaccines since the current anthelmintic therapy is no longer sustainable. A better knowledge of the host-parasite interaction is needed to design effective vaccines. To date, few studies have evaluated host-parasite interaction by comparing infected and reinfected animals. The present study evaluates the microscopical hepatic lesions in sheep infected and reinfected with during the acute and chronic stages of infection. The histopathological study revealed the presence of necrotizing foci (NF1) associated with larvae migration during the early stages of infection in the primoinfected (PI) and reinfected (RI) groups. In the late stages of infection of the PI group and at the early and late stages of infection in the RI groups, extensive necrotizing/hemorrhagic foci (NF2) were found in the vicinity of enlarged bile ducts, some containing adult flukes, suggesting parasites may have caused NF2 while feeding. The immunohistochemical study revealed an increase in Foxp3+ T cells in both PI and RI groups with respect to the UC group and in the infiltrates adjacent to NF1 in the RI groups with respect to the PI group, suggesting the induce Foxp3 T cell expansion to facilitate parasite survival. In addition, in both the PI and RI groups, and during acute and chronic stages of the infection, a poor expression of iNOS was found accompanied by a strong expression of CD163, suggesting a marked M2 activation of macrophages in the hepatic lesions, which may be related with healing processes, and it also may facilitate parasite survival. The main differences between PI and RI animals were the more severe infiltration of eosinophils and Foxp3+ T cells, whereas RI did not modify M2 activation of macrophages which occurs since the early stages of primoinfection.
PubMed: 38929451
DOI: 10.3390/ani14121833 -
BMJ Case Reports Jun 2024This report describes a male in his late 20s who presented with a 2-month history of recurrent haemoptysis and chest pain. A chronic infection, such as tuberculosis, was...
This report describes a male in his late 20s who presented with a 2-month history of recurrent haemoptysis and chest pain. A chronic infection, such as tuberculosis, was suspected. He had undergone surgical resection of an intrapericardial hydatid cyst in the past. His blood investigations showed peripheral eosinophilia, and his chest X-ray showed a cystic oval lesion in the left upper zone. A CT pulmonary angiogram revealed filling defects in the bilateral segmental and subsegmental arteries with a cystic lesion in the left upper lobe. Further workup, including bronchoalveolar lavage culture and MRI of the thorax, confirmed the diagnosis of a hydatid cyst of pulmonary echinococcosis. This case illustrates the presentation of multisystemic echinococcosis in a young male with no other risk factors, initially treated with surgical resection and antihelminthic therapy. The disease later recurred, which required prolonged medications, which brought the patient into remission.
Topics: Humans; Male; Echinococcosis, Pulmonary; Adult; Albendazole; Hemoptysis; Anthelmintics; Recurrence; Chest Pain; Heart Diseases; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Follow-Up Studies
PubMed: 38926123
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2023-256689 -
Planta Jun 2024Integrated management strategies, including novel nematicides and resilient cultivars, offer sustainable solutions to combat root-knot nematodes, crucial for... (Review)
Review
Integrated management strategies, including novel nematicides and resilient cultivars, offer sustainable solutions to combat root-knot nematodes, crucial for safeguarding global agriculture against persistent threats. Root-knot nematodes (RKN) pose a significant threat to a diverse range of host plants, with their obligatory endoparasitic nature leading to substantial agricultural losses. RKN spend much of their lives inside or in contact by secreting plant cell wall-modifying enzymes resulting in the giant cell development for establishing host-parasite relationships. Additionally, inflicting physical harm to host plants, RKN also contributes to disease complexes creation with fungi and bacteria. This review comprehensively explores the origin, history, distribution, and physiological races of RKN, emphasizing their economic impact on plants through gall formation. Management strategies, ranging from cultural and physical to biological and chemical controls, along with resistance mechanisms and marker-assisted selection, are explored. While recognizing the limitations of traditional nematicides, recent breakthroughs in non-fumigant alternatives like fluensulfone, spirotetramat, and fluopyram offer promising avenues for sustainable RKN management. Despite the success of resistance mechanisms like the Mi gene, challenges persist, prompting the need for integrative approaches to tackle Mi-virulent isolates. In conclusion, the review stresses the importance of innovative and resilient control measures for sustainable agriculture, emphasizing ongoing research to address evolving challenges posed by RKN. The integration of botanicals, resistant cultivars, and biological controls, alongside advancements in non-fumigant nematicides, contributes novel insights to the field, laying the ground work for future research directions to ensure the long-term sustainability of agriculture in the face of persistent RKN threats.
Topics: Animals; Plant Diseases; Plant Roots; Agriculture; Tylenchoidea; Host-Parasite Interactions; Disease Resistance; Crops, Agricultural; Antinematodal Agents
PubMed: 38922545
DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04464-5