# Amebicide > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Amebicide > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Amebicide.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amebicide > Source revision: 1315556458 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Drugs destructive to amoeba}} An '''amebicide''' (or '''amoebicide''') is an agent that is destructive to [amoeba](/source/amoeba), especially parasitic amoeba that cause [amoebiasis](/source/amoebiasis).{{MeshName|Amebicides}} ==Entamoeba== * [Metronidazole](/source/Metronidazole), or a related drug such as [Tinidazole](/source/Tinidazole), [Secnidazole](/source/Secnidazole) or [Ornidazole](/source/Ornidazole), is used to destroy amoebae that have invaded tissue. * Several drugs are available for treating intestinal infections, the most effective of which has been shown to be [Paromomycin](/source/Paromomycin) (also known as Humatin). ''E. histolytica'' infections occur in both the intestine and (in people with symptoms) in tissue of the intestine and/or liver.{{cite book | veditors = Ryan KJ, Ray CG | title = Sherris Medical Microbiology | url = https://archive.org/details/sherrismedicalmi00ryan | url-access = limited | edition = 4th | publisher = McGraw Hill | year = 2004 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/sherrismedicalmi00ryan/page/n750 733]–8 | isbn = 0-8385-8529-9}} As a result, both tissue and luminal drugs are needed to treat the infection, one for each location. Metronidazole is usually given first, followed by [Paromomycin](/source/Paromomycin) or [Diloxanide](/source/Diloxanide). ''E. dispar'' does not require treatment, but many laboratories (even in the developed world) do not have the facilities to distinguish this from ''E. histolytica''. ===Tissue amebicides === [Metronidazole](/source/Metronidazole), or a related drug such as [tinidazole](/source/tinidazole), [secnidazole](/source/secnidazole) or [ornidazole](/source/ornidazole), is used to destroy amoebae that have invaded tissue. These are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and transported to the site of infection. Because they are rapidly absorbed there is almost none remaining in the intestine. For amebic dysentery a multi-prong approach must be used, starting with one of: * [metronidazole](/source/metronidazole) 500–750 mg three times a day for 5–10 days * [tinidazole](/source/tinidazole) 2g once a day for 3 days is an alternative to metronidazole Doses for children are calculated by body weight and a pharmacist should be consulted for help. ===Luminal amebicides === Since most of the amoebae remain in the intestine when tissue invasion occurs, it is important to get rid of those also or the patient will be at risk of developing another case of invasive disease. Several drugs are available for treating intestinal infections, the most effective of which has been shown to be [paromomycin](/source/paromomycin) (also known as Humatin); [iodoquinol](/source/iodoquinol) (also known as Yodoxin) is used in the US; and [diloxanide furoate](/source/diloxanide_furoate) (also known as Furamide) is used in certain other countries. In addition to the tissue amebicides above, one of the following lumenal amebicides should be prescribed as an adjunctive treatment, either concurrently or sequentially, to destroy ''[E. histolytica](/source/E._histolytica)'' in the colon: * [Paromomycin](/source/Paromomycin) 500 mg three times a day for 10 days * [Iodoquinol](/source/Iodoquinol) 650 mg three times a day for 20 days Doses for children are calculated by body weight and a pharmacist should be consulted for help. ===Amebic liver abscess=== For amebic liver abscess: * Metronidazole 400 mg three times a day for 10 days * Tinidazole 2g once a day for 6 days is an alternative to metronidazole * Diloxanide furoate 500 mg three times a day for 10 days (or one of the other lumenal amebicides above) must always be given afterwards Doses for children are calculated by body weight and a pharmacist should be consulted for help. ==Acanthamoeba== [Propamidine isethionate](/source/Propamidine_isethionate) has been used in the treatment of [Acanthamoeba](/source/Acanthamoeba) infection.{{cite journal |vauthors =Perrine D, Chenu JP, Georges P, Lancelot JC, Saturnino C, Robba M |title=Amoebicidal efficiencies of various diamidines against two strains of Acanthamoeba polyphaga |journal=Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=339–42 |date=February 1995 |pmid=7726493 |pmc=162538 |doi= 10.1128/aac.39.2.339|url=}} ==Treatment by use of primitive medicines== The [Nicobarese people](/source/Nicobarese_people) have attested to the medicinal properties found in ''[Glochidion calocarpum](/source/Glochidion)'', a plant endemic to India, saying that its bark and seed are most effective in curing abdominal disorders associated with [amoebiasis](/source/amoebiasis).See p. 412 in: {{cite journal |last=Hammer |first=K |title=Barilla (Salsola soda, Chenopodiaceae)|journal=Economic Botany|volume=44|issue=3 |pages=410–412 |jstor=4255259 |date=1990|doi=10.1007/bf03183925}} ==''Naegleria''== Although ''[Naegleria](/source/Naegleria)'' is sometimes considered [amoeboid](/source/amoeboid), unlike Acanthamoeba or [Balamuthia](/source/Balamuthia) it is not closely related to the Amoebozoa (it is much more closely related to ''[Leishmania](/source/Leishmania)'') and agents used to treat ''Naegleria'' infections are usually addressed separately. ==See also== * [Anti-protist](/source/Anti-protist) ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== * {{MeshPharmaList|82000563}} {{Agents against amoebozoa}} Category:Amoebozoa --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Amebicide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amebicide) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amebicide?action=history)). 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