The Neurotoxic Effects of Artemether on the Cytoarchitecture of the Trapezoid Nuclei of Adult Male Wistar Rats (Rattus novegicus)

In Man, artemether is given at 160mg/kg/bodyweight for three days in the treatment of malarial. This study investigated the effects of corresponding 1.23/mg/kg/bodyweight of artemether for a period of seven days on the trapezoid nuclei and the behavioural functions on day 7 after drug administration in rats. This study observed no gross or morphological differences between the two groups of animals (control and experimental groups) on day 7 at the completion of experimental procedure. A significant statistical increase in average body weight was observed in the control groups C1 (which received only standard diet and water) and C2 (which received 1.23mg/kg/bodyweight of normal saline intramuscularly in addition to standard diet and water) from 140- + 19.65g on day 1 to 146 + 19.90g on Day 1 and 151 + 12.0g on Day 1 to 156.2 + 12.2g on Day 7 respectively. There was a non-statistically significant apparent reduction in body weight in the experimental group E, (which received intramuscular injection of 1.23mg/kg/bodyweight of artemether) from 160 + 9.0g on Day 1 to 157.4 + 8.0g on Day 7. The assessment of brainstem nuclei showed patchychromatic appearance of neurons of the trapezoid nuclei in the experimental group as against the normal vesicular appearance of neurons of the trapezoid nuclei in the Control Group C. The rats in the control groups CI and C2 displayed normal balance and co-ordination, while rats in the experimental group E, showed abnormalities of balance and co-ordination. Using t-test analysis technique at 95% confidence interval i.e t < 0.05 and P - value = 2.26, no significant difference was observed between the average brain weight in the control groups C1 and C2 and the experimental group E