Effect of selected anti-malarial drugs on the blood chemistry and brain serotonin levels in male rabbits

The effects of oral administration of sulfadoxine - pyrimethamine (SP), artesunate (A) and sulfadoxine - pyrimethamine - artesunate (SPA) on blood chemistry and brain serotonin in rabbits were investigated. Forty rabbits were divided into four groups of ten animals each. The group that served as the control received 2ml of distilled water while the other groups were received 1.25/25mg base/kg body weight of SP, 3.3mg/kg body weight of A and 1.25/25mg base/kg body weight of SP plus 3.3mg/kg body weight of A respectively by oral route daily for 3 days in a week for four weeks. At the end of each week of drug administration, three rabbits from each group were anaesthetized, blood was taken from the jugular veins using sterile needle and serum was extracted. The rabbits were sacrificed by decapitation; the liver and brain tissues were excised and homogenized. Total blood protein, cholesterol, triglyceride, albumin, creatinine and urea concentrations, creatine kinase, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase, ALP activities were assayed using CX5 synchron autoanalyzer. The brain and liver serotonin levels were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There were no significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) in the concentrations of serum albumin, urea, creatinine, cholesterol and triglyceride of rabbits administered SP, A and SPA for 4 weeks, except in serum total protein. No significant differences existed in the activities of AST, ALT and ALP, except in creatine kinase which was elevated in the control. The brain serotonin levels of rabbits administered SP, A and SPA were significantly higher as compared to the control throughout the duration of the study Data of the study indicate that oral administration of SP, A or SPA in rabbits do not affect blood chemistry, but affected brain serotonin levels and could alter some neural functions.