ABSTRACT
One of the most important enzymatic disorders that interact with malaria is deficiency of G6PD [Gloucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase]. This enzyme protects red blood cells from hydrogen peroxide and other oxidative damages. Distribution of this enzyme deficiency usually accompanies with low level distribution of malaria disease in most malarious areas. So this hypothesis may be considered that the G6PD deficiency could be protective against malaria. Totally 160 samples were taken from vivax malaria infected and non-infected individuals. Preparing blood smears and quantitative test for G6PD deficiency were employed for all of the samples. To ensure accuracy of the malaria in negative samples besides using microscopical examination, semi-nested multiplex PCR was also performed for the two groups. In microscopical examination 36 and 124 samples were vivax malaria positive and negative respectively. Out of 36 P.vivax positive cases 3 [8.3%] cases were detected to be G6PD deficient versus 30 [24.2%] cases out of 124 P. vivax negative cases. The results showed a significant differentiation between P. vivax positive and P. vivax negative cases in the rate of G6PD deficiency [3/36 in positive cases versus 30/124 in negative cases] [P<0.05]. vivax malaria positive individuals with G6PD deficiency showed too mild symptoms of Malaria or even asymptomatic
ABSTRACT
Drug resistance in malaria parasites is extending in the world particularly in chemical synthesized drugs such as 4- aminoquinolines and aminoalcoholes. Employing herbal extracts is encouraged by WHO in the malarious areas. In this study, the effectiveness of ethanolic extract of Artemisia aucheri individually and in combination with chloroquine, has been considered against chloroquine - sensitive strain of Plasmodium berghei. At the first stage, ED50 of A. aucheri and chloroquine on P. berghei was calculated using in vivo test. Then based on the ED50s combination of A. aucheri and chloroquine with ratios of 0/100, 10/90, 20/80, 30/70, 40/60, 50/50, 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, 90/10 and 100/0 were tested against the parasite. For evaluating the adverse effect of A. aucheri on the mice, for two weeks 1000mg/kg of the extract was daily employed and the mice were followed up for fifty days. ED50s for chloroquine and A. aucheri were 1.6mg/kg and 1000mg/kg respectively. The outcome of two drugs combination on the mice showed antagonistic effects on the chloroquine - sensitive strain of parasite. Two weeks daily administration of A. aucheri had no toxic effect on the mice. A. aucheri individually can be effective in reducing the parasite while in combination with chloroquine loses its property
Subject(s)
Male , Animals, Laboratory , Plant Extracts , Ethanol , Chloroquine , Plasmodium berghei/drug effects , Mice , Drug Therapy, CombinationABSTRACT
Malaria is one of the worldwide parasitic diseases which threaten the life of hundreds of millions of people at the malarious areas each year. The emergence of chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum in most of the malarious areas has encountered the relevant countries with some difficulties about treating the acute cases of the disease particulary if the monotherapy regimen has been used. Because of many advantages for the combination therapy, the effectiveness of chloroquine [CQ] and Otostegia persica [OP], a medicinal plant in combination form, was tested against the chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium berghei in sourian mouse using in-vivo adapted fixed ratios method in this study. At the first step, ED[50]s [50% effective dose] of chloroquine and O. persica against both CQ-sensitive and CQ-resistant strains of P. berghei were calculated using in-vivo test in the mice. Ratios of 0, 10, 30, 50, 70, 90 and100% from each ED[50] were prepared and contrarily combined together to make the following fixed ratios of 0/100, 10/90, 30/70, 50/50, 70/30, 90/10, and 100/0 of CQ/OP and the parasites were exposed to the combined ratios. Determination of ED[50]s showed 1.1 mg/Kg and 2.4 mg/Kg of mouse body weight for chloroquine in CQ-sensitive and CQ-resistant strains respectively and 450 mg/Kg for O. persica in both strains. The results also showed that the combinations of "50% CQ + 50% OP", "30% CQ + 70% O.P" and "70% CQ + 30% OP" were more effective than other combinations against CQ-sensitive strain. The fixed ratio combinations of chloroquine and O. persica showed an additive in CQ-resistant strain. Toxicity consideration showed no toxic effect of the combinations on the mice. Otostegia persica potentiated the effectiveness of chloroquine against the chloroquine-sensitive strain of P. berghei but not on chloroquine-resistant P. berghei. Moreover, the greatly modified fixed ratios method in this study can be considered as useful methods for in-vivo combination tests in murine malaria parasites