On the increase of portal pressure during the acute and chronic phases of murine schistosomiasis mansoni and its reversibility after treatment with oxamniquine

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of treatment with oxamniquine on the portal pressure of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. The animals were infected with 30 cercariae and portal pressure was measured with a polygraph at 70 (acute phase) and 160 (chronic phase) days after infection. On days 70 and 160 two other groups of infected mice were treated with 400 mg/kg of oxamniquine and portal pressure was measured 90 days later (160 and 250 days after infection). A group of uninfected mice was used as control. The measured portal pressures, in mmHg, were: matched uninfected control mice 8.7±2.1 and acute phase group, measured at day 70, 13.4±3.5. Matched uninfected control 7.5±0.6 and chronic phase group, measured at day 160 post-infection, 11.6±1.5. Matched uninfected mice 6.9±0.9 and chronic phase group, measured at day 250, 10.4±1.8. Oxamniquine-treated at day 70 and measured at day 160 7.9±0.4; oxamniquine-treated at day 160 and measured at day 250, 7.6±1.7. The infection of mice with 30 cercariae of S. mansoni induced portal hypertension, both during the acute and chronic phases and treatment with oxamniquine caused portal pressure to return to normal levels.