Effect of Metronidazole and Secnidazole against Clinical Isolates of E. Bangladeshi Collected from Mirpur Area, Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Abstract

Infectious diseases continue the major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide including Bangladesh. Entamoeba histolytica is the etiological agent of amoebic dysentery and amoebic liver abscess (ALA). Worldwide, 40–50 million symptomatic cases of amoebiasis occur annually and 70,000 to 100,000 deaths are due to this infection. In amoebiasis Metronidazole, a 5-nitroimidazole drug is the drug of choice for intestinal disease caused by Entamoeba histolytica. In 2010-2011 a new species of Entamoeba named E. bangladeshi has been identified, which was positive for Entamoeba organism but negative for E.histolytica, E. disparand E. moshkovskii by PCR. It was found in the feces of children living in Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Till now no studies have been carried out to determine the Sensitivity of Metronidazole and Secnidazole against this new species. Therefore, the objective of the study is to determine the sensitivity of Metronidazole and Secnidazole against clinical isolates of E. bangladeshi. The clinical isolates of E. Bangladeshi were treated with Metronidazole and Secnidazole at different concentrations (2.56, 1.28, 0.64, 0.32, 0.16, 0.08, and 0.04 μg/ml). Drug sensitivity assay of the samples was carried out by using microtiter plates containing 100 μg/ml of parasite. Plates were incubated at 370C. After 4 hours incubation, the viable parasites in Control were 6.3X106 and7.05X106 for testing the Metronidazole and Secnidazole respectively. Viable cell counts of E. Bangladeshi were 3.2X106, 4.5X106 when different concentrations of Metronidazole (2.56 and 1.28 μg/ml) were used. Viable cells counts of E. Bangladeshi were 3.15X106 and 3.65X106 when different concentrations of Secnidazole (2.56 and 1.28 μg/ml) were used. Inhibition of parasite occurred in a dose dependent manner when treated with metronidazole and secnidazole. Cell inhibition was maximum at the highest concentration of individual treatment (Metronidazole and Secnidazole). The results indicate that, Entamoeba isolates in Bangladesh do not seem to be resistant to the commonly used antiamoebic drugs. Metronidazole drug may be a useful treatment to inhibit the growth of E. bangladeshi. Further study is needed to explore different drugs at different concentrations and time intervals to determine the in vitro sensitivity against E. bangladeshi.