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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.