Levamisole (hydrochloride)

Levamisole ((-)-Tetramisole) hydrochloride is an anthelmintic and immunomodulator belonging to a class of synthetic imidazothiazole derivatives. Levamisole hydrochloride has antiviral effects against HSV. In Vitro:Levamisole suppresses the production of white blood cells, resulting in neutropenia and agranulocytosis. With the increasing use of levamisole as an adulterant, a number of these complications have been reported among cocaine users [1] [2]. Levamisole reversibly and noncompetitively inhibits most isoforms of alkaline phosphatase (e.g., human liver, bone, kidney, and spleen) except the intestinal and placental isoform [3]. It is thus used as an inhibitor along with substrate to reduce background alkaline phosphatase activity in biomedical assays involving detection signal amplification by intestinal alkaline phosphatase, for example in in situ hybridization or Western blot protocols. It is used to immobilize the nematode C. elegans on glass slides for imaging.