Coartemether Induced Oxidative and Hepatic Damage in Plasmodium berghei Strain Anka Infected Mice

This study investigated the effect of coartemether on antioxidant and hepatotoxic biomarkers in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Erythrocyte, hepatic and renal superoxide dismutase (2.71 +/- 0.51; 1.96 +/- 0.87; 2.84 +/- 0.22 Units/mg protein respectively) and catalase (4.10 +/- 0.10; 8.25 +/- 1.24; 6.28 +/- 0.11 Units/mg protein respectively) activities were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated in "parasitized and treated" (PnT) animals. Renal glutathione level (19.02 +/- 0.20 mu g/mL) was elevated in PnT animals. Glutathione S-transferase and malondialdehyde levels in hepatic (8.76 +/- 0.49 mu mol/min/mg; 527.23 +/- 24.56 mmol/dL) and renal (3.35 +/- 0.30 mu mol/min/mg; 464.42 +/- 59.13 mmol/dL) tissues were significantly high (p < 0.05) in coartemether-treated animals alone. Plasma aspartate transferase (9.45 +/- 3.59 U/L) and alanine transferase (5.78 +/- 2.36 U/L) were high in PnT animals. Therefore, data indicates that in the presence of P. berghei, coartemether could alter the antioxidant status and induce hepatotoxic damage in mice.