Antiparasitic Medications to Know for Parasitology

Antiparasitic medications play a crucial role in treating infections caused by various parasites, including helminths and protozoa. Understanding these drugs helps us combat diseases like malaria, schistosomiasis, and intestinal worm infections effectively.

1. Albendazole

   • Broad-spectrum anthelmintic effective against various helminths, including roundworms and tapeworms.
   • Works by inhibiting microtubule formation, disrupting the parasite's ability to absorb glucose.
   • Commonly used for treating infections like ascariasis, hookworm, and neurocysticercosis.

2. Mebendazole

   • Primarily used to treat intestinal worm infections, particularly pinworms and whipworms.
   • Inhibits the polymerization of tubulin, leading to the depletion of glycogen stores in parasites.
   • Generally well-tolerated with minimal side effects; not absorbed well in the gastrointestinal tract.

3. Ivermectin

   • Effective against a variety of ectoparasites and some helminths, including strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis.
   • Acts by binding to glutamate-gated chloride channels, causing paralysis and death of the parasite.
   • Widely used in mass drug administration programs for controlling river blindness and lymphatic filariasis.

4. Praziquantel

   • Primarily used to treat schistosomiasis and other trematode infections.
   • Increases the permeability of the parasite's cell membrane to calcium ions, leading to paralysis and detachment from blood vessels.
   • Effective against adult and larval stages of schistosomes.

5. Metronidazole

   • Antiprotozoal medication effective against Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, and Trichomonas vaginalis.
   • Works by disrupting DNA synthesis in anaerobic bacteria and protozoa.
   • Commonly used for treating infections of the gastrointestinal tract and certain sexually transmitted infections.

6. Pyrantel pamoate

   • Used to treat pinworm and roundworm infections, particularly in children.
   • Acts as a depolarizing neuromuscular blocker, causing paralysis of the parasites.
   • Not absorbed systemically, making it safe for use in pediatric populations.

7. Diethylcarbamazine

   • Primarily used for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis and loiasis.
   • Enhances the immune response against microfilariae and causes their immobilization and death.
   • Can cause inflammatory reactions as dead parasites are cleared from the body.

8. Artemisinin derivatives

   • Potent antimalarial agents derived from the sweet wormwood plant, effective against Plasmodium species.
   • Rapidly reduce the parasite load in the blood by generating reactive oxygen species.
   • Often used in combination therapies to prevent resistance development.

9. Chloroquine

   • Historically the first-line treatment for malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum and other species.
   • Works by inhibiting heme polymerization, leading to toxic accumulation of heme in the parasite.
   • Resistance has emerged, necessitating the use of combination therapies in many regions.

10. Nitazoxanide

    • Broad-spectrum antiparasitic and antiviral agent effective against Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
    • Inhibits the pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase pathway, disrupting energy metabolism in parasites.
    • Approved for use in both children and adults, with a favorable safety profile.