EFFECTS OF ANTIMALARIAL DRUGS ON OESTROUS CYCLE AND UTERINE CONTRACTILITY IN RATS

📄 Project Abstract

Malaria is increasingly a health burden globally with children under the age of 5 and pregnant women being the most vulnerable. Several antimalarials are available in the market today however; the safety data in pregnancy is inadequate especially the first trimester of pregnancy. The study was carried out in both pregnant and non-pregnant wistar rats to evaluate the effect of these antimalarial drugs on the oestrous cycle as well as on the uterine smooth muscle contractility. All the antimalarial drugs in this study (AT 3.2 mg/kg loading dose and 1.6 mg/kg maintenance dose for 7 days; CQ 2.5 mg/kg every 4 hours; QN 20 mg/kg loading dose and 10 mg/kg maintenance dose 8 hourly for 7 days and SP 25 mg/1.25 mg/kg once); showed a desynchronization of the normal oestrous cycle. Proestrus phase was increased by all the antimalarial drugs except for AT, oestrus phase was decreased by all but significantly by QN and metoestrus was increased by all except SP which decreased it significantly whil...