ABSTRACT
Malaria is an acute febrile illness. It is a dangerous disease that contributes to millions of hospital visits and hundreds of thousands of deaths, especially in children residing in sub-Saharan Africa. In a non-immune individual, symptoms usually appear 10-15 days after the infective mosquito bite. The first symptoms-fever, headache, and chills-may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria. If not treated within 24 h, P. falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness, often leading to death. Children with severe malaria frequently develop one or more of the following symptoms: severe anaemia, respiratory distress in relation to metabolic acidosis, or cerebral malaria. In adults, multi-organ involvement is also frequent. In malaria endemic areas, people may develop partial immunity, allowing asymptomatic infections to occur. Haematological changes are well-recognised with malarial infection however background haemoglobinopathy, nutritional status, demographic factors and malaria immunity play a major role in specific changes in that geographical region. Artemisinin derivatives are new generation antimalarial drugs they are used in the treatment of acute attacks of severe malaria including cerebral malaria. Information on the safety of these new antimalarial drugs on body function is still scanty. Haematological parameters are well studied in P. falciparum infection, but now recent studies have indicated that these changes do occur in P. vivax infection also. Hematological profile together with microscopy will enable rapid diagnosis, prompt treatment and further complications can be avoided. This current review is aimed at providing an up-to-date information on the role of malaria and anti-malarial drugs on haematological parameters especially thrombocytopenia.
ABSTRACT
Nevirapine (NVP) is non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and an anti-retroviral drug (ARV) with the highest BBB penetrating ability. Its specific pharmacologic effects on central nervous system (CNS) are not well known. The objective of the study was to investigate some CNS effects of Nevirapine. Oral acute toxicity test (Lorke, 1983) was used to estimate the LD50. Exploratory or sedative effects were tested using open field test(OFT), Hole-board test (HBT), diazepam-induced sleeping time test, and ketamine-induced sleeping time test. Five groups of mice were used (5 mice /group). The negative control group received vehicle (distilled water) (10 mL /kg) while groups II, III, and IV received NVP- 15.625 mg/kg, 31.25 mg/kg, 62.5 mg/kg body weight respectively while group V received 0.25 mg/kg of diazepam intraperitoneal. Groups I to IV were treated orally. The oral LD50 was determined to be 2154. 07 mg/kg. NVP, in a dose dependent fashion, increased the number of line-crossing in the OFT. Also, NVP in a dose-dependent fashion, significantly reduced the duration of diazepam-induced sleeping time as well as delayed onset. NVP significantly potentiated ketamine-induced sleeping time duration. Nevirapine possess excitatory effects possibly through antagonism of GABA receptors. Nevirapine causes wakefulness (shortening of sleep) possibly via antagonism of GABAergic neurotransmission.
