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Schistosoma mansoni infected mice were treated with a single oral dose of either praziquantel (400 mg/kg) or oxamniquine (100 mg/kg). The uncured mice, after the first dose, were given a second dose of the same drug or alternatively with the other drug. The drug efficacy was monitored by stool examination and egg count using Kato-thick smear technique. Praziquantel was found to be more effective, it gave 60% cure rate after the first dose, increased to 100% after the second dose, than oxamniquine which had 37% and 74% cure rates respectively. Furthermore, in uncured mice praziquantel resulted in more egg count reduction than oxamniquine. Treatment with the alternate drug of mice not cured with the first treatment gave 100% cure rate with praziquantel and 83% with oxamniquine. It was concluded that praziquantel is generally more effective than oxamniquine and cases not cured with a single dose of either drugs may be effectively treated with a second dose of the other.

Praziquantel (40 mg/Kg.) and Oxaminquine (30 mg/Kg.) were administered orally to mice at seven weeks after infection with S. mansoni. The tegumental surfaces of non-treated as well as treated adult worms were examined by scanning electron microscope seven days after treatment. The surfaces of the worms were shown to be different from other studied strains. Such differences include; the devoideness of the female tegument of several sensory appandages; the number of sensory bulbs per papillae was high and the interpapillar setae were absent on the dorsal and dorsolateral surfaces of the male. Both drugs affected the surfaces of the male more pronouncedly than the female. Praziquantel was more effective in the destruction of spined papillae, wrinkling and disturbing the interpapillar spaces. Oxamniquine destructed the suckers, but had little effect on the spined papillae. No post-treatment recovery of worm's teguments was noticed.

The in vivo effects of oxamniquine on the tegumental surface of adult Schistosoma mansoni were studied using scanning electron microscopy. Pronounced tegumental alterations were observed in all worms including marked oedema, wrinkling and distortion, atrophy, loss of tone and complete disorganization of suckers, blebbing, destruction of tubercles, collapse of sensory papillae and erosion or peeling of the surface layer. The amount of damage was more marked in males than females and varied considerably among worms recovered from the same host and even in different regions of the same worm. Damage was irreversible and all worms were eventually eliminated.

This study was done on 45 patients with bilharzial hepatosplenomegaly and active bilharzial infection classified into 3 groups. The first group was given oral oxamniquine 2nd group was given oral praziquantel, the third group was left as control. It was proved that praziquantel gave a remarkable decrease in portal vein diameter and regression of the size of enlarged liver and spleen but oxaminiquine had no significant effect on the portal vein diameter and liver profile.

By means of electrophoresis quantitative estimation of serum protein components were made at various intervals before and after treatment with oxamniquine. During infection of mice with S. mansoni serum protein fractions showed marked alterations. Significant increase of total protein, alpha-2 globulin and beta globulin started at week 4 and alpha-1 globulin and gamma globulin at week 6. The significant decrease of globulins at week 6 resulted in reduced albumin globulin ratios. Some of these changes developed during maturation of worms and became more evident with initiation of egg deposition. The possible cause of these variations and their significance were discussed. Oxamniquine treatment of infected mice inhibited such alterations. Administration of the drug to normal mice was followed by temporary increase of serum albumin.