Navaratnam V
Center for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang.
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1993;24 Suppl 2:51-4.
Lymphatic filariasis is the most widespread of human filarial infections, a group of vector-borne infestations. After the discovery of diethylcarbamazine (DEC), little advance was made in the development of new chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis until 1985. Since then, several new initiatives have occurred as the result of a global effort by the World Bank/UNDP/WHO Special Programme on Tropical Diseases and the Onchocerciasis Control Programme. Some of these global research initiatives are reviewed in this paper. Recent observations throw a new light on the rational use of DEC including its deployment as a medicated salt. Ivermectin, an established drug for the treatment of river-blindness is examined for its potential use in the treatment of lymphatic filariasis. Experimental results from two novel compounds out of several being developed by the WHO/OCP Macrofil project are considered in respect to their potential macrofilaricidal activity, particularly in relation to lymphatic filarial infections.
淋巴丝虫病是人类丝虫感染中分布最广的一种，属于一组媒介传播的寄生虫病。在发现乙胺嗪（DEC）之后，直到1985年，用于治疗淋巴丝虫病的新型化疗药物的研发几乎没有进展。自那时以来，由于世界银行/联合国开发计划署/世界卫生组织热带病特别规划和盘尾丝虫病控制规划的全球努力，出现了几项新举措。本文对其中一些全球研究举措进行了综述。最近的观察结果为合理使用DEC（包括将其用作药盐）带来了新的启示。伊维菌素是一种已确立的治疗河盲症的药物，本文研究了其在治疗淋巴丝虫病方面的潜在用途。世界卫生组织/盘尾丝虫病控制规划大型丝虫项目正在研发的几种新型化合物中的两种的实验结果，就其潜在的杀成虫活性，特别是与淋巴丝虫感染的关系进行了探讨。
