Teratogenic Effects Of Artemether On Sprague-Dawley Rat Foetus
Abiodun, A.A., Duru F.I., Noronha C.C. And A. O. Okanlawon

SUMMARY

Background: Artemether, has gradually gained grounds as an option in the management of chloroquine-resistant malaria in many tropical countries. Several human and animal experiments have reported side effects mainly on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, but there are few reports available on safety of artemether during pregnancy.

Objective: We designed this study to examine for the presence of teratogenic effects on a rat model. Materials and Methods: Thirty adult female Sprague - Dawley rats in proestrus were mated over night with fertile males of the same stock. Pregnant rats were randomly assigned to three equal groups of 10 rats per group. The first group (control) received 1.5mls of normal saline daily intraperitoneally on days 13th, 14th and 15th of gestation. The second and third groups received 10mg and 20mg/kg per day respectively of intraperitoneal artemether on days 13th, 14th and 15th of gestation. On the 29th day of gestation, all animals were sacrificed by guillotine decapitation and foetuses were delivered by hysterotomy.

Results: Examination of foetuses revealed morphological anomalies in the artemether treated groups. These include significant reduction (P<0.05) in foetal weight, crown - rump length, tail length and placental weight when compared with the control.

Conclusion: The results suggest that artemether should be taken with caution in pregnancy. Niger Med J. 2003; Vol 44 (3):74 - 76.

KEYWORDS: Artemether,Teratogenic Effect,Malaria Parasite