IMPLICATION OF FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION ON KIDNEY OXIDATIVE STRESS AND ION HOMEOSTASIS IN ARTEMISININ COMBINATION THERAPY INDUCED METABOLIC ALTERATION
Report on the toxicity of acute administration of ACTs in malarial infection appears to be contradictory and only very few studies has reported on the long term use effect of the drug on kidney function and the protective role of folic acid when co-administered. In this study 56 male wistar rat assigned to 4 groups of 14 rats each were used. Group A was treated as normal control; group B and D were pre-treated with folic acid for 28 days. Leonart (2.67mg artemether/16mg lumefantrine per Kg body weight) was administered to groups C and D twice daily for 4 days starting from the 24th day after which seven rats were sacrificed from each group. Folic acid treatment was made to continue in the respective groups for another 4 days while Leonart was further administered in the respective group at a dose of 5.34 mg artemether and 32 mg lumefantrine per kg body weight for the 4 days period. The rats were then sacrificed. The serum was analysed for Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl- ,HCO3-, creatinine and urea while the kidney homogenate was analysed for the levels of peroxidation and GSH and the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase. Result of the study indicates that acute administration of these drugs did not alter these parameters. Chronic use of the drug raised the level of kidney peroxidation, decrease the kidney GSH, catalase activity and also increased the concentration of Na+, K+, Cl+ and HCO3- ions. The result suggest that whereas acute use of leonart may not potentiate kidney toxicity, chronic use of the drug may lead to renal dysfunction and co- administration with folic acid may offer no protection against the disorder