If the doctor found you have an infection with protozoa - amoeba, giardia, trichomonads, plasmodia, then for the treatment of diseases caused by them (dysentery, urethritis, colpitis, malaria), he will prescribe an antiprotozoal agent. What it is, how it affects the human body and how effective it is, we will talk in our article.
How antiprotozoal agents are divided
All living organisms, except bacteria, are eukaryotes. That is, they have a nucleus in the structure of cells. Therefore, protozoa that enter the body have much in common with our cells in metabolic processes, and getting rid of them is much harder than bacteria. And besides this, antiprotozoal agents (the mechanism of action of which we will consider below) often have a strong toxic effect on the body, which complicates the treatment of infection. But it is necessary to deal with it, since the results can turn out to be very serious, regardless of the type of protozoa that hit the body, including death.
All antiprotozoal drugs are divided according to their focus on a specific pathogen:
- antimalarial;
- anti-amoebic;
- used for giardiasis;
- with trichomoniasis;
- with leishmaniasis;
- with toxoplasmosis.
Within groups, separation occurs either according to the place and method of exposure to parasites (as is the case with anti-amoebic drugs), or according to the effect on the form of protozoa development (as is the case with antimalarial drugs). Consider this on the example of individual types of pathogens.
How are anti-amoebic agents divided?
Amoeba infection is quite common. In medicine, this pathology is defined as amoebiasis. It is caused by the simplest Entamoeba histolytica, which settle in the large intestine, eventually leading to the appearance of symptoms similar to bacterial dysentery. The patient feels pain in the abdomen, fever, he has an upset stool.
Part of the amoeba in this case can parasitize in the intestinal wall or affect the liver. There are known cases of their introduction into the lungs and human brain, where they cause the appearance of abscesses.
What does an antiprotozoal agent for amebiasis can be understood by the way they are separated, depending on the location of the pathogens of amebiasis. So, among them there are:
- drugs that act on amoebas located in the intestinal lumen (Ciniofon, Mexform, Enetroseptol, etc.);
- drugs acting on amoebas in the intestinal wall (in this case, antibiotics that violate the conditions for the existence of amoebas, “Tetracycline” or “Oxytetracycline”, are also used);
- drugs acting in the liver (“Hingamin”, “Chloroquine”);
- funds acting at any localization of amoebas (nitroimidazole derivatives - Metronidazole, Ornidazole or Nirdazole).
Antiprotozoal drugs: classification for malaria
Malaria includes a group of diseases that occur with the same symptoms: fever, fever, joint pain, an increase in the spleen and liver, as well as a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood. This is caused by infection with different types of plasmodium through the bite of a female mosquito belonging to the genus Anopheles.
As already mentioned, antimalarial drugs are divided depending on the impact on the development of plasmodium. There are four groups in total:
- hematoshizotropic - affecting the erythrocyte form of plasmodium (preparations "Quinine", "Hingamin", "Chloridin", "Maloprim" or "Pyrimethamine");
- histoshizotropic, affecting the pre-erythrocyte form (Proguanil preparation) and the para-erythrocyte form (Primakhin preparation);
- gamantotropic agents giving a gamantocidal (Primachin) and gamantostatic effect (Pyrimethamine);
- combined preparations ("Fansidar", "Metakelfin").
The main effect that all antiprotozoal agents have is the damage and inhibition (slowdown) of the synthesis of nucleic acids in protozoa, as well as the destruction of their cytoplasmic membrane, which ultimately leads to the death of these microorganisms.
Means of treatment for trichomoniasis
So, for example, the drug "Metronidazole", which is used as the main tool in the treatment of trichomoniasis, acts.
Infection with Trichomonas (Trichomonas vaginalis) affects the urogenital system of a person, causing urethritis in men and vaginitis in women. As a rule, if such infection is suspected, both sexual partners are treated, even if the disease in one of them is asymptomatic.
In women with infection that occurred in the vagina, the disease is manifested by the release of a large number of foamy whites. They usually have an unpleasant odor and can be yellowish or greenish in color. Often, painful sensations arise during coitus.
And with infection of the urethra, there are cramps and burning during urination, which signal the development of urethritis. In this case, itching and redness in the vagina, as well as swelling of the vulva, are frequent.
As already mentioned, the main antiprotozoal agent in gynecology and urology is Metronidazole. But due to the fact that recently there has been an increase in the number of strains resistant to this drug, drugs such as Tinidazole or Ornidazole will be used to treat infections.
Means for the treatment of toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is another disease in the treatment of which an antiprotozoal agent is used. That this infection occurs when eating raw or poorly fried meat is probably no secret to anyone. Most often, this disease takes a chronic form, and its manifestations vary in variety depending on which organ is affected by Toxoplasma (Toxoplazma gondii).
In people with weakened immune systems, this infection is usually manifested by damage to the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, lymphatic and nervous systems, in the form of encephalitis, generalized lymphadenopathy, or myositis. And when pregnant women become infected, toxoplasmosis can cause malformations in the child, as well as premature birth or abortion.
The main drug in the treatment of this pathology is Chloridin in combination with sulfanilamide drugs (Sulfadimezin, Sulfadimethoxin or Sulfapyridazine).
Drugs for the treatment of giardiasis
One cannot help but recall, describing the antiprotozoal agent, that it is also a drug that treats infection with giardia. Giardiasis is a fairly common pathology that occurs as a result of damage to the liver and small intestine by parasites. The danger of this disease is that it may not occur, but lamblia carriers can infect others.
This disease is acute in children and people with weakened immune systems. As a rule, the patient has diarrheal syndrome, fever, vomiting, rash (similar to measles), anorexia, enlarged liver, decreased appetite, and sharp pains in the stomach.
Effective drugs for the treatment of giardiasis are Metronidazole, Ornidazole, Akrikhin and Furazolidone in combination with antihistamines and enterosorbents.
What other drugs are used as antiprotozoal
The drugs used to treat the above diseases often have an antibacterial focus. So, Metronidazole tablets are both an antimicrobial and antiprotozoal agent that can affect the development of Giardia, Trichomonas and Amoeba, as well as some anaerobic microorganisms: peptococci, streptococci, bacteroids, clostridia, fusobacteria, etc.
This action allows this drug to be effective in combating trichomonas vaginitis and urethritis, as well as giardiasis and amoebic dysentery. The drug “Tiberal” (“Ornidazole”) has a similar scope.
And the drug "Delagil", which includes chloroquine phosphate, is indicated for use in malaria, amoebiasis, as well as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Means used for leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is another pathological condition for the treatment of which an antiprotozoal agent is required. What this disease is and how it proceeds, largely depends on the patient's immunity and the location of the lesion. Leishmaniasis is divided into mucocutaneous, diffuse cutaneous and visceral. In the latter case, the spleen and liver are affected, and the parasite circulates in the blood.
For treatment in severe cases, intravenous or intramuscular injections of pentavalent antimony preparations are used. In skin types of this infection, in some cases they are replaced with the Metronidazole or Paromomycin drugs.
Once again about what an antiprotozoal means
From all the above, it is clear that antiprotozoal agents help rid the body of parasites represented by protozoa. The above drugs affect them, disrupting the development process and the life cycle.
But treatment with antiprotozoal drugs has many side effects and is quite difficult. So, the diagnosis of the presence of a parasitic infection in the early period is a very important point in the treatment of all these diseases. Running pathologies can not only go into a chronic form, but also lead to disability or death.
It is very important, suspecting that you have a disease, contact a specialist as soon as possible, only in this case the treatment process will give the maximum effect and maintain health. Do not be ill!