STUDIES ON THE“MESENTERY SHIFT”METHOD FOR SCREENING ANTI-SCHISTOSOMULA DRUGS IN EXPERIMENTAL SCHISTOSOMIASIS JAPONICA IN MICE

The present report deals with a new method of screening anti-schistosomula drugs. It was shown that all schistosomula in each mouse regularly migrated from liver to mesenteric veins after 14 days of infection. When Cucurbitine, F30066, or other antischistosomula drugs were administered orally to mice in a course of 14 days following infection of cercariae, the drugs not only retarted the growth of schistosomula but also delayed their normal shift. Based on the above observations, the "mesentery shift" method of screening anti-schistosomula drugs is therefore suggested. Experiments showed that the "mesentery shift" method is much better than that of measuring the length of the schistosomula, for the criterion is more definite and the techniques are simpler. In the preliminary screening, mice were given a drug from the day of infection for a period of 14 consecutive days. The drug was considered to be effective if no "mesentery shift" of schistosomula was found at autopsy on the 15th day after the beginning of treatment.