Levamisole receptors: a second awakening.

Abstract

Levamisole and pyrantel are old (1965) but useful anthelmintics that selectively activate nematode acetylcholine ion channel receptors; they are used to treat roundworm infections in humans and animals. Interest in their actions has surged, giving rise to new knowledge and technical advances, including an ability to reconstitute receptors that reveal more details of modes of action/resistance. We now know that the receptors are plastic and may form diverse species-dependent subtypes of receptor with different sensitivities to individual cholinergic anthelmintics. Understanding the biology of the levamisole receptors is expected to inform other studies on anthelmintics (ivermectin and emodepside) that act on ion channels.

• Authors: Richard J Martin, Alan P Robertson, Samuel K Buxton, Robin N Beech, Claude L Charvet, Cédric Neveu
• Journal: Trends in parasitology (Trends Parasitol) Vol. 28 Issue 7 Pg. 289-96 (Jul 2012) ISSN: 1471-5007 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22607692 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anthelmintics
• Depsipeptides
• Ion Channels
• Receptors, Cholinergic
• Levamisole
• Pyrantel
• emodepside

Topics

• Animals
• Anthelmintics (pharmacology)
• Caenorhabditis elegans (drug effects, genetics, metabolism)
• Calcium Signaling
• Depsipeptides (pharmacology)
• Drug Resistance
• Genes, Helminth
• Humans
• Ion Channel Gating
• Ion Channels (drug effects, metabolism)
• Levamisole (pharmacology)
• Models, Molecular
• Pyrantel (pharmacology)
• Receptors, Cholinergic (drug effects, metabolism)
• Species Specificity
• Xenopus (genetics, metabolism)