Immune System and Body Defence Enhancement Effects of Oral Dihydroartemisinin in Wistar Albino Rats

Some drugs like clozapine, interferons and cyclosporine affect the number and function of white blood cells. This study examined the effect of oral dihydroartemisinin on the white blood cells; the lymph and intestinal glands of the intestinal wall and the open circulation of the spleen of Wistar albino rats. Five dosages of oral DHA （dihydroartemisinin）, 1, 2, 60 and 80 ms/ks were administered for 5 days or 7 days to 10 sets of 5 test rats weighing 104-106 grams. Equivalent doses of distilled water were given to 4 rats of similar weight and age to serve as controls in each of these tests. A group of five test and four control young adult albino rats which weighed 75-90 grams were given a repeated dose of the 1 ms/ks oral DHA with a rest period of 1 week between the two dosage regimens. The results of the study showed that oral dihydroartemisinin treatment produced highly statistically significant increases in the percentage neutrophil count （P 〈 0.01 ）; the percentage lymphocyte count （P 〈 0.01, P 〈 0.03）; the percentage monocyte count; the population of the cells of the intestinal glands and intestinal solitary and aggregated lymph glands; the number of the cells of the slow and open circulation of the spleen of the dihyrdroartemisinin-treated rats in comparism with the controls. These increases were dose, dose repetition and time dependent. The results suggest that oral dihydroartemisinin treatment had immune defence enhancement effects in the treated rats.