ABSTRACT

There is frequent use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) due to recurrence of malaria infection in Nigeria. Their efficacy and potential to delay drug resistance in falciparum malaria had led to their increased use. ACTs generate free radicals as part of their mode of action. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a widely used flavour enhancer with a number of adverse effects. Earlier studies have shown the induction of oxidative stress in some organs of experimental animals after chronic administration of MSG. Reactive oxygen species have been implicated in the etiology of many diseases. This work was aimed at investigating the therapeutic dose and overdose effects of artemether lumefantrmne on liver histology and the antioxidant status in the serum and in the liver homogenate of normal and monosodium glutamate_intoxicated rats. Adult male Wistar rats (n = 30) were divided into six(6) groups each were treated as follows: Group I (control); group II: Therapeutic dose of arternetherlumefantrine(AL); group III: Overdose of AL; group IV:A known toxicant (MSG at 8000mg/kgbw);group V:Therapeutic dose + MSG at 8000mg/kgbw; group VI: Overdose + MSG at 8000mg/kgbw. Administration was orally and twice daily by accurately weighing 4 tablets of the antimalaria drug that an average 70kg man takes twice daily and dissolving it in lOOmi of distilled water and administered in volume corresponding to the rats weight while the MSG was done once, for a period 7 days. At the end of the experiment, animals were sacrificed and the serum and liver was taken and catalase activity determined. There was a significant (J)<O .05) decrease in the catalase activity of the MSG-oniy rats, when compared with the control rats which improved in the MSG + therapeutic dose of AL. It can be concluded that the therapeutic dose of artem eth er_mm efantnne eli cited a sign i fi cant in vitro antioxidant properly and may protect against MSG-induced oxidative stress by increasing catalase activity. The overdose of artemether_lumefantrine + MSG, markedly increased studied oxidative stress indicator of the rats, hence such combination use in animals should be discouraged.