STUDIES ON THE EXPERIMENTAL THERAPY OF SCHISTOSOMAISIS JAPONICA,X.THE ENHANCEMENT OF SCHISTOSOMACIDAL ACTIVITY OF ANTIMONIALS BY GLYCEROL IN THE TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL SCHISTOSOMIASIS JAPONICA

When tartar emetic dissolved in 25% glycerol or normal saline was administered intraperitoneally in the dosage of 0.2 mg/20g.for 14 days,worm reduction rates of 81.1% and 52.9% were observed respectively.The difference was statistically signifi- cant.With 0.3 mg/20g.for 14 days,the worm reduction rates in glycerol and saline groups were 91.1% and 86.5% respectively.The difference was not statistically signi- ficant.When fouadin dissolved in 25% glycerol of normal saline was administered in- tramuscularly in the dosages of 1.4 and 1.9 mg/20g.for 14 days,the worm reduction rates in glycerol groups were 73.4 and 94.2% aud those in saline groups 58.7 and 80.3% respectively.When the same dosages were administered intraperitoneally,the worm reduction rates in glycerol groups were 83.4 and 93.1% and those in saline groups 58.3 and 74.9% respectively.Both were statistically significant. When tartar emetic was given orally with 0.2 ml/20g of 50% glycerol,little en- hancement of the schistosomacidal activity of antimonial could be observed.With a bigger dosage(0.8 ml/20g.),the worm reduction rates in glycerol group(82.6%)was nu- merically higher than that of the saline group(67.6%).No curative effect on schisto- somiasis japonica was observed in control mice receiving 25% glycerol intramuscularly or intraperitoneally or 50% glycerol orally.It is concluded that glycerol could enhance the schistosomacidal activity of antimonials in the treatment of mice infected with Schi- stosoma japonicum but the enhancement was not so evident when it was administered orally in small dosage.