Use of surviving infectious larvae of Dipetalonema dessetae in study and research on filaricidal substances

: Dipetalonema dessetae in Proechimys oris, the natural final host is a rodent filariasis model used as an in vivo antifilarial screening test. The laboratory vector is Aedes aegypti. Infective larvae L3 isolated from the intermediate host develop and remain healthy for up to 30 days in a biphasic culture medium composed of a cell feeder layer (L 929) and RPMI 1640 supplemented with foetal calf serum. This culture technique has enabled us to screen antifilarial compounds on a new in vitro test. This model has been tested to several pharmacological classes of anthelmintics and effective concentrations 90% are given: diethylcarbamazine 430 mg/l, suramin 490 mg/l, Mel W 3.5 mg/l, mebendazole 78 mg/l, flubendazole 45 mg/l, levamisole 0.55 mg/l, morantel 0.62 mg/l, ivermectin 1.2 mg/l, amoscanate 2.3 mg/l. In vitro test response is remarkable for neurotoxic anthelmintics and nitro-compounds. Furthermore, all compounds considered as reference filaricides are active. For each compound, the in vitro and in vivo results have been compared to appreciate usefulness as well as limits of this in vitro test.