{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T14:11:33Z","timestamp":1774879893761,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,23]],"date-time":"2021-04-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1619136000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Swedish International Development Agency (Sida)","award":["51170072"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["51170072"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceuticals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Praziquantel (PZQ) and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHP) combination recently showed superior effectiveness than PZQ alone to treat intestinal schistosomiasis. In this follow-up study, we investigated the effect of DHP co-administration on the pharmacokinetics of PZQ and its enantiomers among 64 Schistosoma mansoni infected children treated with PZQ alone (n = 32) or PZQ + DHP combination (n = 32). Plasma samples collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h post-dose were quantified using UPLCMS\/MS. The geometric mean (GM) of AUCs for total PZQ, R-PZQ and S-PZQ were significantly higher among children who received PZQ + DHP than PZQ alone. The geometric mean ratio (GMR) and (90% CI) of AUC0\u2013\u221e for PZQ + DHP to PZQ for total PZQ, R-PZQ, and S-PZQ were 2.18 (1.27, 3.76), 3.98 (2.27, 7.0) and 1.86 (1.06, 3.28), respectively. The GMR and (90% CI) of AUC0\u20138 for total PZQ, R-PZQ, and S-PZQ were 1.73 (1.12, 2.69), 2.94 (1.75, 4.92), and 1.50 (0.97, 2.31), respectively. The GM of Cmax for total PZQ, R-PZQ and S-PZQ were significantly higher among those who received PZQ + DHP than PZQ alone. The GMR (90% CI) of Cmax of PZQ + DHP to PZQ for total PZQ, R-PZQ, and S-PZQ were 1.75 (1.15, 2.65), 3.08 (1.91, 4.96), and 1.50 (1.0, 2.25%), respectively. The 90% CI of the GMRs for both AUCs and Cmax for total PZQ, R-PZQ, and S-PZQ were outside the acceptable 0.80\u20131.25 range, indicating that the two treatment arms were not bioequivalent. DHP co-administration significantly increases systemic PZQ exposure, and this may contribute to increased effectiveness of PZQ + DHP combination therapy than PZQ alone to treat schistosomiasis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ph14050400","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,24]],"date-time":"2021-04-24T21:49:20Z","timestamp":1619300960000},"page":"400","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Effect of Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine on the Pharmacokinetics of Praziquantel for Treatment of Schistosoma mansoni Infection"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Omary Mashiku","family":"Minzi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, 11103 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0746-3169","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rajabu Hussein","family":"Mnkugwe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden"},{"name":"Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, 11103 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7096-5279","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eliford","family":"Ngaimisi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Division of Pharmacometrics, Food and Drugs Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Safari","family":"Kinung\u2019hi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza Research Centre, 33104 Mwanza, Tanzania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Hansson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital-Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anton","family":"Pohanka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden"},{"name":"Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital-Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Appolinary","family":"Kamuhabwa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, 11103 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9788-0790","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eleni","family":"Aklillu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/S0001-706X(00)00122-4","article-title":"The global status of schistosomiasis and its control","volume":"77","author":"Chitsulo","year":"2000","journal-title":"Acta Trop."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hotez, P.J., Alvarado, M., Basanez, M.G., Bolliger, I., Bourne, R., Boussinesq, M., Brooker, S.J., Brown, A.S., Buckle, G., and Budke, C.M. 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