Objective To study the effect of artemether on several enzymes involved in
carbohydrate metabolism of
Schistosoma japonicum
.
Mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum cercariae for 4～5 weeks were administered intragastrically with artemether 300 mg/kg and killed 24～72 h after medication. The supernatant fluids of female and male worm homogenates were prepared for determining 9 essential enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism by using horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. The activities of 8 out of 9 enzymes (i.e. hexokinase, aldolase, glucosephophate isomerase, malate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase, 6 phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and mannose 6 phosphate isomerase) in female worms from artemether treated mice were obviously inhibited 24～72 h after treatment. In male worms, only aldolase , mannose 6 phosphate isomerase and glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase were slightly inhibited. Artemether displayed apparent effects on the carbohydrate metabolism of female schistosomes.