REPURPOSING OF ANTI-MALARIAL SYNRIAMTM AND TESTING ITS EFFICACY AGAINST EGYPTIAN STRAIN OF SCHISTOSOMA HAEMATOBIUM

Trials for discovering an anti-malarial drug, which can compete Schistosomal infection inco-endemic areas, are ongoing. Some preliminary studies were done on Synriam (SYN), antimalarialdrug combination (arterolane maleate and piperaquine phosphate) released fromRanbaxy, to test its anti-schistosomal effect. But, in vitro incubation of SYN with differentSchistosoma haematobium stages was not fully assessed. This study determined the antischistosomalin vitro effect of SYN on adult and juvenile stages of Schistosoma haematobium-Egyptian strain. Adult and juvenile worms were incubated with ascending concentrations ofSYN and with praziquantel as positive control. Viability, survival, morphological and ultrastructuralchanges were assessed at different time points. Higher concentrations of 60, 80μg/ml showed rapid and lethal effects on adult and juvenile stages of both species, with prominentultrastructural alterations. Concentrations of (10, 20, & 40μg/ml) showed mild to moderateeffect on adult schistosomes. On contrarily to praziquantel, larval immature stages respondedsignificantly and rapidly to low concentration of SYN with 100% death rate. The presentfindings were consistent with the evaluation of anti-schistosomal therapeutic effect of SYN tobe utilized in malaria co-endemic areas.