• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 1998

The chemiluminescent (CL) response of phagocytes from juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, which were administered orally with levamisole was investigated. The fish intubated with doses of levamisole either at 0.5mg $kg^-$ or 1 mg $kg^-$body weight showed significant increase in CL responses at two weeks after the administration. The increased extent of CL in the fish exposed to 0.5 mg $kg^-$ body weight was considerably lower than that in the fish exposed to 1 mg $kg^-$. The fish exposed to 5 mg $kg^-$ body weight showed a steady and significant increase of CL response after the intubation. The fish intubated with 10 mg of levamisole $kg^-$ body weight, however, showed no significant differences in CL response after the administration. In the experiment of feeding experimental diet, a lower dose of levamisole induced immunostimulation of phagocytes, but higher doses of levamisole induced immunosuppression of phagocytes. At one week after marking and blood sampling, plasma glucose level was significantly increased in the control group and the group intubated 0.5 mg levamisole/kg body weight. However, the fish in another groups, which were administered higher levels of levamisole, showed no significant difference in glucose level after marking and blood sampling. The result of the present study suggests that levamisole can be used as a potent immunostimulator in rockfish by oral administration, and the immunomodulating activity of levamisole depends on the dosage used.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.329-333
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• 2004

Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) head kidney (HK) leukocytes were incubated with $10^3$ to $10^{-3}$ ng levamisole/ml for 4, 24 or 48 h and then assayed for their natural cytotoxic activity against xenogeneic tumor cells. This activity was slightly increased after 24 h of incubation. In a second experiment, fish were fed 0, 75, 150 or 300 mg levamisole/kg diet for 10 consecutive days. The fish were then fed a commercial non-supplemented diet and sampled 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 weeks post-administration of levamisole. The cytotoxic activity was found to be increased with increasing levamisole dose and remained greatly enhanced until the end of the experiment. In conclusion, levamisole enhanced flounder natural cytotoxic cell activity both in vitro and in vivo and had a great lasting action when administered by feeding.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.309-314
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• 1996

The purpose of this study is to explain the relationship between the pharmacological mechanism of levamisole and the cellular activity of cellular alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) in kidney cells. The results of our investigation were as follows. 1. Cellular ALPase activity in Macacus rhesus monkey kidney cells (MA 104 cells) and primary cultured rabbit kidney proximal tubular cells treated with levamisole was increased about two or three times than control. However, 50% of ALPase activity in cultured medium was inhibited by levamisole itself. 2. The proliferation of MA 104 and cultured rabbit kidney proximal tubular cells was linearly decreased in paralleled with increase of levamisole concentration $(50\;and\;500\;{mu}M)$ with MTT test. 3. In the heat stability tests, the inhibition of ALPase activity with and without levamisole at $56^{\circ}C$ in MA 104 cells showed different $IC_{50}$ values. 4. HPLC analysis of levamisole metabolites produced by cultured MA 104 cells suggested that the formation of a metabolite, that may be associated with its increase of cellular ALPase activity. Based on these results, we assumed that the increase of cellular ALPase activity by levamisole was evoked by modification of the ALPase catalytic sites.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.675-678
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• 2012

The study examined the effect of levamisole on the natural cytotoxic cell (NCC) activity of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) head kidney (HK) leukocytes. In vitro, HK leukocytes were incubated with $10^{-4}$ to $10^4$ ng of levamisole/ml for 5, 20 or 40 h and then their NCC activity against target cells was assayed. The NCC activity appeared to increase after a 20 h of incubation. In vivo, tilapia were fed commercial diet containing 0, 50, 100 or 300 mg of levamisole/kg for 12 consecutive days. Then, the fish were fed a commercial normal diet and samples harvested weekly 0 to 8 weeks after levamisole administration. The NCC activity was augmented uniformly at all times examined until the end of the experiment. In conclusion, levamisole effectively enhanced and maintained tilapia NCC activity.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2001

Purpose Long- term use of steroid, cyclophosphamide and cyclosporin, which are frequently used in the therapy of SDNS, might cause severe side effects. Recently, the immune-modulator levamisole has been tried as a substitute therapy and it has been reported as a method with less side effects and more effectiveness. We started this research in order to observe the effects of levamisole and compare it to other therapy results. Patients and Methods : We chose 16 steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome children, those who had shown frequent relapse during the immunocompromised therapy period. Mean age was $9.1{\pm}1.4$ years in children and the male to female ratio was 15:1. All of subjects were diagonized with MCNS and had received cyclophosphamide or cyclosporin before receiving levamisole. Levamisole at a dose of 2.5mg/kg was used every other day for 1 year and the relapse rate was observed. Results : On average of 14 days after treatment, complete remission was visible in all of the children, and the relapse percentage was $50\%$, which represents 8 children, while remaining 8 children representing $50\%$ of the cases showed no relapse during treatment. During the levamisole therapy period, tile average relapse rate was reduced significantly from $2.18{\pm}0.9/year\;to\;0.77{\pm}0.9/year$(P=0.027). Also the average relapse rate after the therapy was reduced to $1.34{\pm}1.1/year$, which was a significant level compared to the level before treatment(P=0.003). There was no significant difference in terms of duration of remission maintenance. Duration of remission maintenance showed an average of $12.2{\pm}9.1$ months before the use of levamisole, but it was also $10.1{\pm}6.9$ month after therapy. No other side effects such as leukopenia, skin disease and other clinically significant symptoms appeared at all during therapy. Conclusion : The long-term medication of levamisole for the therapy of SDNS children is thought to be able to maintain stable remission by reducing the relapse frequency without causing severe side effects. Further study with a broader range of subjects is required to eluccidate the long-term effects of this treatment. (J. Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2001;5 : 109-16)

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.39-44
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• 1983

A Total of 15 cows with 26 Quarters affected with chronic mastitis in Anyang Area were used in this experiment. Levamisole was effective against chronic bovine mastitis by enhancing the immune response in cows. 1. Levamisole treatment was $65.0\%$

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.145-151
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• 2011

The comparative efficacy of 2 anthelmintics (ivermectin and levamisole) against Baylisascaris transfuga migrating and encapsulated larvae was studied in mice. A total of 60 BALB/c mice inoculated each with about 1,000 embryonated B. transfuga eggs were equally divided into 6 groups (A-F) randomly. Mice of groups A and B were treated with ivermectin and levamisole, respectively, on day 3 post-infection (PI). Mice of groups A-C were killed on day 13 PI. Similarly, groups D and E were treated with ivermectin and levamisole, respectively, on day 14 PI, and all mice of groups D-F were treated on day 24 PI. The groups C and F were controls. Microexamination was conducted to count the larvae recovering from each mouse. The percentages of reduction in the number of migrating larvae recovered from group A (ivermectin) and B (levamisole) were 88.3% and 81.1%, respectively. In addition, the reduction in encapsulated larvae counts achieved by ivermectin (group D) and levamisole (group E) was 75.0% and 49.2%, respectively. The results suggested that, to a certain extent, both anthelmintics appeared to be more effective against migrating larvae than encapsulated larvae. However, in the incipient stage of infection, ivermectin may be more competent than levamisole as a larvicidal drug for B. transfuga.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 1994

In order to develop a broad-spectrum veterinary anthelmintic, a combined preparation of nitroxynil and levamisole was formulated for subcutaneous injection. The preformulation studies on solubilization, physicochemical stability and toxicity of combined preparation were performed. The combined preparation of nitroxynil-N-ethylglucamine and levamisole base could be solubilized up to 50.3%(w/v) of active ingredient concentration in propylene glycol/water system. Injectable solutions were most stable at $4^{\circ}C$. Local toxicities such as flare and edema were not shown when the usual dose of the combined preparation was injected subcutaneously to the rats.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.441-447
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• 1991

In this study, effect of levamisole, selenium and tocopherol on the lymphocyte blastogenesis and antibody production in Korean native goat were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Lymphocyte blastogenesis of goat blood increased significantly (p<0.01 and p<0.05) when the cells were treated in vitro with levamisole at the concentration of $50{\sim}500{\mu}g/ml$, with selenium at the concentration of $0.062{\sim}1.0{\mu}g$ and with tocopherol nt the concentration on $12.5{\mu}g$. Increased lymphocyte blastogenesis was detected from 2 to 24 hours after oral administration of levamisole (2.5mg/kg of body weight). After 7 days, increased mitogenic response of lymphocytes was not detected. Meanwhile increased blastogenesis of lymphocyte from goats given the selenium-tocopherol mixture (selenium $100{\mu}g$-tocopherol 200IU/head/day) was detected from 10 days after feeding, and the tendency continued throughout the entire experimental period. When immune responses of goats against PPD were subjected to test by ELISA, the mean IgG titers of levamisolc group (1 : 1,800) and selenium-tocopherol group (1 : 960) were higher than that of control group (1 : 600) at 2 weeks after lst inoculation. At 3 weeks after lst inoculation and 1 week after 2nd inoculation, the significant (p<0.05) differences in IgG titers were detected among the three groups. The mean IgG titers of levamisole group, selenium-tocopherol group and control at that time were 1 : 20,480, 1 : 5,120 and 1 : 2,640, respectively. The IgG production of levamisole group was significantly (p<0.01) higher than that of control group.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.36-40
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• 1998

This experiment was carried out in order to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of levamisole (LMS) in 5. fgrjn challenged eels with different treatment regimens: 7-day LMS treatment before the challenge, 7-day LMS treatment started simultaneously with the challenge, 14-day treatment before and after the challenge. The antibacterial effect was activated in all treated groups, with the best being obtained in the simultaneously treated group. LMS stimulated the defense mechanisms of the eel as demonstrated by increase in the level of total protein, albumin, trypsin inhibitor capacity, lysozyme activity, antibody titers antibacterial activity and survival rate. These results suggest that antibacterial effects of LMS was achieved by not only non-specific immune response but also specific one in eel.