Jacobs Pharm II: Worms, Lice, Scabies, Protozoans Flashcards
Name the organism also known as “giant intestinal roundworm”
Ascaris (infection= ascariasis)
Name the organism that causes pinworm.
Enterobius
Name two organisms that cause hookworm infections.
Necator and Ancylostoma
Name the organism that causes whipworm.
Thichuris
Name the organism commonly known as a “blood fluke”
Schistosoma
Name the organism commonly known as the “Chinese liver fluke”
Clonorchis
Name the organism commonly known as the “common liver fluke” aka. “sheep liver fluke”
Fasciola
Name the organism better known as “beef tapeworm” or “pork tapeworm”
Taenia
Which organism causes cysticercosis?
Pork tapeworms (Taenia)
Which organism causes hydatid disease, and is transmitted from infected dogs (or other hosts, like sheep)?
Echinococcus
Name 3 drug options for Enterobius (pinworm) infections.
- pyrantel pamoate
- mebendazole
- albendazole
Name 2 drug options for MOST roundworm infections (excluding threadworm or filariasis).
- albendazole
- mebendazole
Name the drug of choice for treating threadworm infections or filariasis.
ivermectin
Name the drug of choice for treating blood fluke and Chinese liver flukes.
praziquantel
Name two drugs of choice for treating sheep liver fluke (Fasciola) infections.
- triclabendazole
- nitazoxanide
Name two drugs of choice for treating non-cyst tapeworm infections (i.e. not cysticercosis).
- praziquantel
- niclosamide
What is the drug of choice for treating cyst forms of tapeworm (cysticercosis, or hydatid disease)?
albendazole
Name three anthelmintic drugs that inhibit microtubules.
- albendazole
- mebendazole
- triclabendazole
All three belong to a class known as benzimidazole anthelmintics. They bind to beta-tubulin and pevent the elongation of microtubules.
Is the bioavailability of benzimidazole anthelmintics (e.g. albendazole) low, or high?
Low (about 5%)
Albendazole is prefererd for systemic infections (e.g. cysticercosis). To help with absorption, it is usually taken with a high-fat meal.
For treating systemic worm infections, albendazole is administered for days-weeks. Name two organs this drug is toxic to.
Liver - hepatotoxicity (increased AST, ALT)
Bone marrow - myelosuppression
Which is a more active anthelmintic agent: albendazole or it’s primnary metabolite, albendazole sulfoxide?
albendazole sulfoxide is more active than the “parent drug”
What type of active metabolite does nitazoxanide form in worms?
a hydroxylamine (this is the active form of the drug that inhibits PFOR)
What anthelmintic drug inhibits the enzyme, pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR), which results in ATP depletion?
nitazoxanide (actually, the hydroxylamine metabolite of nitazoxanide is the active, PFOR inhibitor)
What drug can be used to treat Fasciola (common liver fluke), Giardia, or Cryptosporidium, and works by inhibiting ATP synthesis?
nitazoxanide
What type of ion do invertebrate (worm and insect) Glutamate channels conduct?
Chloride (Cl-)
How does ivermectin work?
Increases Cl- conductance through invertebrate (worm and insect) glutamate channels. This causes hyperpolarization and inhibits transmission of neuronal signals. Leads to paralysis and death.
What is the Mazzotti reaction?
A post-treatment reaction in treating systemic worm infections (e.g. filariasis). Dying worms in the body cause an immune reaction, including fever, edema, itching, and possible anaphylaxis.
Praziquantel has several effects. It partly works by increasing the conduction of what ion across worm cell membranes?
Calcium
What organelle in worm cells does niclosamide inhibit?
mitochondria
What anthelmintic drug is mainly used for beef or fish tapeworm, and works by ‘uncoupling’ the electron transport chain?
niclosamide