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Transient effects of levamisole on Brugia malayi microfilariae

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Invertebrate Neuroscience

Abstract

Levamisole is an anthelmintic drug that acts by activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at the nematode neuromuscular junction and causing paralysis. We measured the in vitro effects of levamisole on the motility of Brugia malayi microfilariae; after 2 h incubation the apparent IC50 was 2.68 mM. Lower drug concentrations, such as 1 mM, caused an immediate total paralysis that lasted for up to 1 h, but was completely reversed by 2 h of incubation. The ‘recovered’ parasites were still completely susceptible to application of a second nicotinic agonist, pyrantel.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by funds from the Egyptian Cultural and Educational Bureau, Washington, DC, USA. We thank Dr Barbara Reaves for a critical reading of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, 501 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Eman Mostafa, Bob Storey & Adrian J. Wolstenholme

  2. Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Eman Mostafa & Adrian J. Wolstenholme

  3. Department of Parasitology, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

    Eman Mostafa, Adel Mohammed Farghaly, Hany Abd El-Hai Afify & Afaf Abd El-Raouf Taha

Authors
  1. Eman Mostafa
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  2. Bob Storey
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  3. Adel Mohammed Farghaly
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  4. Hany Abd El-Hai Afify
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  5. Afaf Abd El-Raouf Taha
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  6. Adrian J. Wolstenholme
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Correspondence to Adrian J. Wolstenholme.

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Mostafa, E., Storey, B., Farghaly, A.M. et al. Transient effects of levamisole on Brugia malayi microfilariae. Invert Neurosci 15, 5 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10158-015-0181-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10158-015-0181-0

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