Scientific thinkers, your thoughts please on this mebendazole/glucose question...

[Elibean]

dd1 had (I hope past tense correct) threadworms last week. In my panicked determination to get well shot of them, I read several websites and saw one that recommends cutting down on sweet foods because 'threadworm survive by feeding on glucose'.

Thing is, Mebendazole works by blocking glucose uptake, so my (admittedly not very scientific) thinking is, what difference does how much you eat make?? Surely pasta, bread, all carbs, turn to glucose anyway, more or less? Surely if a worm can't uptake sugar, it doesn't matter whether there are ten million molecules of it floating around or ten thousand?

Or am I blitheringly, unscientifically wrong?

In case you haven't guessed, I'm wondering whether its worth the angst of cutting out dd's occasional treat/dessert/honey on her toast etc.

Somehow

Bit of both.

Not sure how Mebendazole works - but it it is a competative inhibitor then you could outcompete it with enough natural sugar (i.e. sugar will still get in).

If it is non-competitive it won't give a toss. You could have as much sugar as you want and it (the glucose trasnporter on the worm) would still be inhibited by Mebendazole.

WRT to carbs - the carbs get into the bloodstream/cells and then get turned to glucose - the worms need the glucose to stay inthe gut.

Ah yes, re glucose/carbs, forgot that (biology A-level shrouded in mists of time)

Hmm, wonder if I can find out about the type of inhibitor it is then. Very interesting, thank you

Never heard the advice to cut down on sugar and I am a pharmacist. Think it's anecdotal evidence and slightlymadshrek's explanation is spot on.

Found this "In vitro and in vivo work suggests that mebendazole blocks the uptake of glucose by adult and larval forms of helminths, in a selective and irreversible manner. Inhibition of glucose uptake appears to lead to endogenous depletion of glycogen stores within the helminth. Lack of glycogen leads to decreased formation of ATP and ultrastructural changes in the cells."

So dd can still have her weekend chocolate and I can have my daily one?

I googled, but was overwhelmed with antihelmintic-microbiological-inhibitor-detailed terminology. So thanks for clarifying for me

It's from medicines.org.uk which links to the actual literature from the drug, so I think it's pretty reliable info.

I would say so Elibean

Phew

Did sound a bit old wives tale-y to me, but wasn't sure.

Have emailed my retired, microbiologist uncle for extra chocolatey back-up....but wouldn't have known what terms to use without you lot. Thanks again.

If it is irrevesible it will be non-competative (or allosteric if you want another funky term ).

The other stuff probably/possibly relates to trying to get rid of them by hygeine methods rather than drug based methods.

[walks off shaking head muttering about buying Stryer Biochemistry text book again to 'remember']