EVALUATION OF THE CARCINOGENIC AND GENOTOXIC POTENTIAL OF PRAZIQUANTEL IN THE SYRIAN-HAMSTER EMBRYO CELL-TRANSFORMATION ASSAY

Praziquentel, a drug used for the treatment of neurocysticercosis, was tested for its ability to induce morphological transformation of Syri an hamster embryo fibroblasts. Results indicate that praziquantel tran sforms these cells without affecting their viability. Further experime nts were carried out to investigate its possible mechanism of action i n the same cell system. Micronucleus formation was observed in culture s treated with concentrations with induced morphological transformatio n, about 40% of these micronuclei were positive to a kinetochore antib ody. No induction of DNA repair synthesis was observed even at cytotox ic concentrations. These results suggest that praziquantel has an aneu genic effect which could be responsible for its ability to transform m orphologically these cells. Risk-benefit analysis should be carried ou t whenever this drug is utilized.