The Ultrastructure and Development of Schistosoma japonicum Pigment

摘要

Schistosome japonicum is the etiological agent for schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease still prevalent in some parts of world. Today 200 million people are infected worldwide. Pmaziquanteh, as the specific drug for treatment of schistosomiasis, has been used extensively. Continuous use of the single drug inevitably increases the risk of developing resistance to Pmaziquanteh. Thus, it is important to speed up new drugs research and development as soon as possible. Recent researches indicate that inhibition of formation of Schistosome pigment (SP) leads to remarkable decrease in total protein, SP content and viability of the worms, as well as in parasitemia and deposition of eggs in mouse livers. The results suggest that formation of SP is a potential target for chemotherapy. Recent work regarding SP has mostly been centered on its chemical composition, structure and mechanism of formation.