BIODISTRIBUTION STUDY OF THE ANESTHETIC SODIUM PHENOBARBITAL LABELED WITH TC-99M IN SWISS MICE INFECTED WITH SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI SAMBON, 1907

Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) is a radionuclide that has negligible enviromn ental impact, is easily available, inexpensive and can be used as a ra dioactive tracer in biological experiences. In or der to know the mode of action of sodium phenobarbital in moving adult Schistosoma mansoni worms from mesenteric veins to the liver, we labelled sodium phenobar bital (PBBT) with Tc-99m and a biodistribution study in infected and n on-infected Swiss mice was performed. The PBBT was incubated with stan nous chloride used as reducing agent and with Tc-99m, as sodium pertec hnetate. The radioactivity labelling (%) was determined by paper ascen ding chromatography perfomed with acetone (solvent). The Tc-99m-PBBT w as administered by intraperitoneal route to Swiss mice infected eight weeks before. The animals were perfused after diferent periods of time (0,1,2,3,4 hr) when blood spleen, liver, portal vein, mesenteric vein s, stomach, kidneys and adult worms were isolated. The radioactivity p resent in these samples was counted in a well counter and the percenta ge was determined. The radioactivity was mainly taken up by the blood, kidney, liver and spleen. No radioactivity was found on the adult wor ms. We concluded that the worm shift was Hue to an action on the host of the sodium phenobarbital.