Antischistosomal action of atorvastatin alone and concurrently with medroxyprogesterone acetate on Schistosoma haematobium harboured in hamster: surface ultrastructure and parasitological study

Aiming to study the influence of long-term administration of lipid lowering agents (atorvastatin; AV), and to study the action of combined treatment with injectable contraceptive (medroxyprogesterone acetate; MPA) on tegumental ultrastrucutre and survival of Schistosoma worms, this study was established. AV (0.9 mg kg−1) was administered orally for 49 successive days to Schistosoma heamatobium-infected hamster starting from day 35 post-infection (pi). Another group of infected hamster was administrated MPA intramuscularly (0.1 ml kg−1) at days 7 and 35 pi followed by AV treatment regimen. Both treatment regimens significantly affected the surface ultrastructure of the male worms more pronouncedly than the female ones. Combined treatment was more severe in action compared to single one. The combined treatment was characterized by losing of spines and damaging of tubercles throughout the tegument, severe erosion and peeling and appearance of deep crakes in different parts of the tegument. Moreover, mild to sever destruction to the oral suckers of both female and male worms was noticed. On the other hand, both treatment regimens significantly reduced numbers of recovered S. haematobium worms and tissue egg load. Oogram pattern was affected only in case of combined treatment with high percentage of dead eggs. In conclusion, AV, if given continuously for long time, has a pronounced antischistosomal action especially when accompanied with contraceptive intake. These promising results may encourage further investigation with the intention of their possible application on treatment of schistosomiasis as a complement strategy to praziquantel chemotherapy.