A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EFFICACY OF ARTEMISININ MONOTHERAPY AND COMBINATION THERAPY TO PLASMODIUM BERGHEI IN EXPERIMENTAL MICE
Meka Sowjanya, Kuthala Kalyan Kumar and Kanikaram Sunita*
ABSTRACT
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the comparative efficacy of different dosage regimens of arteether and artemether-lumefantrine to Plasmodium berghei induced haematological changes. Our secondary objective was to identify parasite clearance time (PCT) after treatment. Chloroquine sensitive P. berghei ANKA strain parasites were infected to albino mice through intraperitoneal route. α, β-arteether and artemether-lumefantrine in sub-therapeutic, therapeutic and double-therapeutic doses were taken for comparative efficacy study. PCT was determined by taking peripheral blood smear up to day 28 and haematological parameters were estimated by following standard protocols. Double therapeutic dose of artemether-lumefantrine has low parasite clearance time 48 h (2 days) with haematological recovery. Artemether-lumefantrine is a highly efficacious combination with rapid parasite clearance and with low parasite burden. But it is evident that arteether is on the edge of developing resistance.
Keywords: Plasmodium berghei, ?, ?-arteether, artemether-lumefantrine, parasite clearance time, haematological parameters.
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