Effect of praziquantel on some aspects of carbohydrate metabolism in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice resulted in a marked decrease in blood glucose and liver glycogen accompanied by a significant increase in hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) activity. Moreover, the results indicated that infection produced a significant increase in blood pyruvate and hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) activity with a significant decrease in blood lactate. Infected mice were treated with praziquantel which was given at two doses of 500 mg/kg body wt on two consecutive days. Seven and 14 days respectively after drug administration, such treatment caused a marked improvement in the previous aspects of carbohydrate metabolism. This is indicated by the tendency of the blood glucose of infected mice to be restored, the marked increase in their liver glycogen content, the normalization of their blood lactate and pyruvate as well as by the marked decrease of their hepatic G-6-Pase activity and the progressive increase in their hepatic G-6-PD activity. Praziquantel given to normal mice moderately affected the blood glucose and the previously mentioned hepatic enzymes. However, the drug markedly increased the liver glycogen content of normal mice and failed to elicit any change in their blood pyruvate and lactate. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed.