ABSTRACT

There is frequent use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) due to recurrence ofmalaiia 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 oftheir 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 ofmany diseases. This work was aimed at investigating the therapeutic dose and overdose effects of artemether_lumefantrine on brain and the antioxidant satus in the brain 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 artemether_lumefantrine(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 ofthe antimalaria drug that an average 70kg man takes twice daily and dissolving it in 100ml 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 ofthe experiment, animals were sacrificed and the brain was taken and catalase activity, magnesium and Albumin concentration determined. There was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the catalase activity ofthe MSG-on rats, when compared with the control rats which improved in the MSG + therapeutic dose ofAL and the result ofthe magnesium showed that the magnesium concentration ofthe group that received MSG was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that ofthe normal group while the result ofthe albumin concentration ofthe group that received MSG was significantly (p<0.05) lower than that ofthe normal group. It can be concluded that the therapeutic dose of artemether-lumefantrine improved the Albumin, catalase and magnesium concentration in the brain cells which are all implicated in improved antioxidant activities hence ACT improves antioxidant activity in the brain cells. Also, high dose ofACT might not have affected the brain physiology but might affect other important organs hence, giving room for expansion ofthe study to include sensitive organs that are potentially susceptible to toxicity