Anthelmintics are some of the most widely used drugs in veterinary medicine. Here we review the mechanism of action of these compounds on nematode parasites. Included are the older classes of compounds; the benzimidazoles, cholinergic agonists and macrocyclic lactones. We also consider newer anthelmintics, including emodepside, derquantel and tribendimidine. In the absence of vaccines for most parasite species, control of nematode parasites will continue to rely on anthelmintic drugs. As a consequence, vigilance in detecting drug resistance in parasite populations is required. Since resistance development appears almost inevitable, there is a continued and pressing need to fully understand the mode of action of these compounds. It is also necessary to identify new drug targets and drugs for the continued effective control of nematode parasites.

Paraherquamide is a novel natural anthelmintic product with a mode of action that is incompletely characterized. Nicotine and cholinergic-anthelmintic agonists of different chemical classes were used to produce contraction in Ascaris muscle strips. Paraherquamide and a semisynthetic derivative, 2-deoxy-paraherquamide, antagonized these responses. Analysis of the actions of the antagonists was made using the simple competitive model and nonlinear regression to estimate the pK_B values of the antagonists. The analysis was tested using Clark plots. The pK_B values for paraherquamide were: nicotine, 5.86 ± 0.14; levamisole, 6.61 ± 0.19; pyrantel, 6.50 ± 0.11; and bephenium, 6.75 ± 0.15. The pK_B of nicotine was significantly different from the pK_B values for levamisole, pyrantel, and bephenium, showing that paraherquamide can distinguish a subtype of cholinergic receptors sensitive to nicotine and a subtype of cholinergic receptors sensitive to levamisole, pyrantel, and bephenium. The pK_B values for 2-deoxy-paraherquamide were: levamisole, 5.31 ± 0.13; pyrantel, 5.63 ± 0.10; and bephenium, 6.07 ± 0.13. The Clark plots of the antagonism illustrated the degree of fit to the competitive model for 2-deoxy-paraherquamide. 2-Deoxy-paraherquamide selectively antagonized the effects of bephenium; the pK_B values of levamisole and pyrantel were significantly different from the pK_B of bephenium. Paraherquamide and 2-deoxy-paraherquamide are selective competitive cholinergic antagonists that distinguish subtypes of cholinergic receptor inAscaris muscle corresponding to nicotine-, levamisole-, and bephenium-sensitive receptors.

Ion channels are specialized multimeric proteins that underlie cell excitability. These channels integrate with a variety of neuromuscular and biological functions. In nematodes, the physiological behaviors including locomotion, navigation, feeding and reproduction, are regulated by these protein entities. Majority of the antinematodal chemotherapeutics target the ion channels to disrupt essential biological functions. Here, we have summarized current advances in our understanding of nematode ion channel pharmacology. We review cys-loop ligand gated ion channels (LGICs), including nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), acetylcholine-chloride gated ion channels (ACCs), glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls), and GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) receptors, and other ionotropic receptors (transient receptor potential (TRP) channels and potassium ion channels). We have provided an update on the pharmacological properties of these channels from various nematodes. This article catalogs the differences in ion channel composition and resulting pharmacology in the phylum Nematoda. This diversity in ion channel subunit repertoire and pharmacology emphasizes the importance of pursuing species-specific drug target research. In this review, we have provided an overview of recent advances in techniques and functional assays available for screening ion channel properties and their application.

SUMMARY: Three groups of anthelmintic drugs act directly and selectively on muscle membrane receptors of parasitic nematodes. These groups of anthelmintics are: (1)The Nicotinic Agonists(levamisole, pyrantel, morantel and oxantel) that act on acetylcholine receptors of nematode somatic muscle; (2)The GAB A Agonist, piperazine, that acts on nematode muscle GABA receptors; and (3)The Avermectinsthat open glutamate gated Cl^-channels on nematode pharyngeal muscle. The electrophysiology and pharmacology of muscle and neuromuscular transmission the nematode parasite,Ascaris suum, is outlined and effects of anthelmintics that interfere with transmission described. Resistance to anthelmintics has appeared in some parasitic nematodes but the mechanisms of this resistance remain to be determined