Penicillamine as an adjuvant to antimonial therapy of schistosomiasis: effect on liver function tests in rabbits and on antischistosomal activity.

Earlier work has shown that penicillamine reduces the acute toxicity of antimonyl potassium tartrate (APT) as well as the abnormal ECG changes it induces. In the present study, the possible protective effect of penicillamine on the hepatic toxicity of APT was investigated. Tests of liver function showed changes in the level of serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase and of alkaline phosphatase, and in the beta-/alpha-lipoprotein ratio, in response to antimony treatment. The changes were significantly reduced by penicillamine, though the effect depended on the dose. Penicillamine was found to give the best overall protection without affecting the antischistosomal efficacy of the antimonial when a 1:2 APT/penicillamine ratio was used. The findings provide further evidence of the potential usefulness of penicillamine in the antimonial treatment of schistosomiasis.