Effects of Artesunate Alone and In Combination with Folic Acid on the Liver and Serum Iron Level of Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

The effects of oral administration of artesunate alone and with folic acid on the liver and on the serum levels of iron were assessed in eighty-one male wistar rats with a mean weight of 180 g (172-188 g). Thirty-six rats received artesunate of graded doses ; another thirty-six rats received a combination of artesunate and folic acid; while normal saline was administered to the remaining nine rats which served as the negative control group. Comparison of means of results was done with the student’s test at a 95% level of significance. The results showed that in rats treated with 6.00 mg/kg of artesunate alone, there was a significant decrease in liver weight from 3.25±0.55 to 2.64±0.12g.
Necrosis of the hepatocytes as revealed by liver histology also occurred. The serum iron level rose significantly from 784±11.49 ?mol/L to 1773±11.32 ?mol/L. It was also found that folic acid reversed metabolic and tissue disorder associated with lower doses of artesunate but offered partial relief to the same disorders associated with higher doses of the drug. This is evident by the decrease in serum iron and the the healthy cytoarchitecture of the liver .