European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

HEPATORENAL STATUS OF MALARIA INFECTED MICE TREATED WITH HIPPOCRATEA AFRICANA ROOT EXTRACT AND ARTEMETHER-LUMEFANTRINE

Anthony Fidelis Uwah*, Blessing Obinaju Effiong, Ekoriko Udoh Henry, Eno Uwah Ettetor and Ezekiel Udo Umoh

ABSTRACT

Objective: To assess the hepatic and renal status of Plasmodium berghei infected mice treated separately and concomitantly with Hippocratea africana root extract and Artemether-lumefantrine (ACT). Methods: Thirty-five adult mice (30 - 35g) divided into 5 groups of 6 mice each were inoculated with 4.8 x 107 P. berghei infected red blood cells per ml from a donor mouse with 65% parasitaemia. Dosages of 3mg/Kg body weight of artemether, 18mg/Kg body weight of lumefantrine, and 200mg/Kg body weight of H. africana were administered orally for 6 days. A non-parasitized group served as normal control. Results: Treatment with ACT and H. africana extract separately reduced the serum liver enzymes of parasitized animals significantly (P < 0.05) when compared with the parasitized untreated group. The values were, however, significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the normal control. Concurrent administration of ACT and H. africana significantly (P < 0.05) lowered the serum liver enzymes of the parasitized animals to levels that were not significantly (P > 0.05) different from the non-parasitized group. Total proteins, albumin and globulin fractions of mice parasitized treated separately with ACT and H. africana were significantly (P < 0.05) increased when compared with the parasitized untreated group. Treatment with ACT and H. africana separately significantly (P < 0.05) raised the total serum proteins and all the protein fractions of the parasitized mice, while ACT-extract concomitant treatment showed slight just increase (P > 0.05) in the serum protein of the mice. . All the treatment groups showed significant reduction in the total bilirubin and fractions. There were significant (P < 0.05) increases in electrolytes in all the treatment groups, when compared with parasitized untreated groups Concomitantly treated with ACT and H. africana lowered electrolytes levels in all groups. Conclusion: The concurrent administrations of artemether-lumefantrine (ACT) with root bark extract of H. africana did not show any evidence of toxicity to the hepatocytes, and did not derange the biosynthetic function of the liver. The concomitant treatment rather restored parasite-induced hepatic function disturbances observed in the untreated parasitized mice.

Keywords: Hippocrearea africana, Artemether lumefantrine, malaria, Plasmodium.