<i>In vitro</i> effects of GSK343 on the motility, pairing, viability and ultrastructure of <i>S</i>. <i>mansoni</i> adult worms.

(A) Percentage of relative motility of adult worms treated with different concentrations of GSK343 and controls (0.1% DMSO) at different times of exposure from 3 to 48 h. Mean ± SD of three experiments, each with 10 worm pairs. (B) Monitoring the pairing of controls and treated couples with different concentrations of GSK343 at different times of exposure from 3 to 48 h. Mean ± SD of three experiments, each with 10 worm pairs. (C) Viability was estimated by the total amount of ATP available in the parasites, using a luminescent assay. Pairs of adult worms were treated for 48 h with GSK343 at the different concentrations indicated or with vehicle (0.1% DMSO). The viability was expressed as % the luminescence values relative to the control (DMSO). Mean ± SD from three replicate experiments, each with 10 worm pairs. For panels (A), (B) and (C): *p (D) Scanning electron microscopy of worms exposed for 48 h to 20 μM GSK343 (note that the size bar is shown within the black thin line below each image); panels 1 and 2: Male and female control (Bar = 500 μm; 200 μm) presenting the couple fully paired; panels 3 and 4: Medial dorsal region of the male presenting tegument without structural alterations (Bar = 100 μm; 10 μm); panel 5: Male posterior region without morphological alterations (Bar = 50 μm). panels 6 and 7: Adult worm treated with GSK343 and its anterior region (Bar = 500 μm; 100 μm); panels 8 and 9: Enlarged view of dorsal region of adult worm treated with GSK343 showing lesions of tegument around the tubercles; panel 10: Posterior region of male adult worm treated with GSK343 (Bar = 100 μm). f: female; os: oral sucker; vs: ventral sucker; b, blebs; tb: tubercles; la: lesion area.