Effects of Drugs
Piperazine hyperpolarized the muscle membrane to effectively paralyze nematodes so they pass out of the host. Levamisole and pyrantel mimic the effects of ACh to depolarize the membrane which also paralyzes the worm. Ivermectin appears to inhibit esophageal pumping so that the nematodes cannot take in adequate nutrients. Mebendazole, parbendazole and fenbendazole appear to inhibit mitochondrial electron transport to inhibit energy production. They also bind to tubulin so that microtubule-dependent processes are paralyzed.