Research: EFFECT OF CAFFEINE CO-ADMINISTRATION WITH HALOFANTRINE AND OTHER ANTIMALARIALS ON PARASITE CLEARANCE IN Plasmodium berghei INFECTED MICE

The study aims to compare halofantrine (Hf), dihydroartesunate (DHA) and chloroquine (CQ) in terms of parasite clearance in P.berghei infected mice; and to determine the effect of caffeine (Cf) on parasite clearance by Hf. Adult Swiss albino mice weighing between 19-24g were randomly divided into six groups: control, Cf, Hf, Hf/Cf, CQ and DHA. Each mouse received intra-peritoneally, a standard inoculum of 1 x 107 P. berghei infected erythrocytes in 0.2 ml of phosphate-buffered saline. The drugs were administered orally with water prior to food-intake, within 24-48 hours after treatment, parasitaemia increased rapidly in the control and caffeine treated groups, while a gradual decline in parasitaemia was observed in the groups treated with Hf, Hf/Cf, CQ and DHA. The parasite clearance was sustained with Hf, Hf/Cf, and CQ. By contrast parasitaemia increased significantly in DHA treated mice as from day 14 until their death. The inhibitory effects of Hf, Hf/Cf, and CQ on parasite growth were demonstrable from day 0 and with inhibition reaching 99.5, 99.7 and 98.5% respectively by day 7. The treatment with Hf produced the same effects as HF/Cf. On day 1, Hf caused 40.5% inhibition as against 44.5% by HF/Cf. On day 2, Hf caused 67.2% inhibition as against 68.9 % by HF/Cf. The differences noted were not significant- (P>0.05), The study revealed Hf to be more effective in treating the malaria in mice than DHA and CQ; and that although HF/Cf seemed more effective than Hf, the difference proved insignificant.