An experimental study on the effect of praziquantel and oltipraz on some lysosomal enzymes.

The in-vivo effect of the schistosomicidal drugs praziquantel and oltipraz on the activities of the liver lysosomal enzymes in Schistosoma mansoni-infected and non-infected mice was studied. The effect of S. mansoni infection and the administration of the schistosomicidal drugs on the activities of beta-glucuronidase, acid ribonuclease and alpha-naphthyl acetate esterases may be considered as indices for carcinogenicity. Drugs were given orally in subcurative doses, either in a single dose of 400 mg kg-1 for praziquantel or in five daily doses of 50 mg kg-1 oltipraz. The increase in enzymatic activities in infected animals was attributed to deranged metabolic function as a result of liver cell injury. Treatment of uninfected animals with either praziquantel or oltipraz significantly increased the activities of the three lysosomal enzymes. Praziquantel possesses reversible and less toxic effects on the liver than oltipraz. The role of these antischistosomal drugs cannot be ignored as a possible aetiological factor implicated in the process of carcinogenesis associated with schistosomiasis infection through modulation of the operating potential of the enzymes concerned with detoxification, protein and fat metabolism.