Levamisole Supplementation Enhanced Diminazene Efficacy in T. brucei Infected Rats.

Abstract

Thestudy used changes in parasitemia, haematology, liver and spleen masses to assess theinfluence of levamisole on diminazene efficacy in T. b. brucei infected rats. Four groups of infected rats (each group containing 15 rats), received 7.0 mg/kg diminazene aceturate on day 7 post infection. Three of the four groups separately received levamisole at 10-, 20-, and 40- mg/kg daily for 21 days beginning from the day of diminazene treatment. The fourth group received no other drug in addition to diminazene 7.0 mg/kg. The infection caused significant increases in spleen and liver masses, and decreases in PCV, Hb, and RBC. By day 7 post treatment (PT), parasites were not detected in the blood of rats in the four treated groups. Parasites reappeared in the group that received only diminazene treatment by day 21 PT. Treatment with diminazene alone or in combination with levamisole reduced liver and spleen masses but liver mass returned to normal only in the diminazene/levamisole groups. Spleen mass attained the lowest level in the diminazene/levamisole groups but never returned to normal in any treatment option. Diminazene with and without levamisole were equally effective in returning PCV, Hb and RBC to normal. The superior efficacy of diminazene/levamisole combination may have therapeutic relevance in trypanosomosis chemotherapy.

Key Words: diminazene, levamisole, parasitemia, liver mass, spleen mass, trypanosome, rat.