HISTOMORPHOLOGIC ALTERATIONS OF THE CEREBELLUM OF WISTAR RATS FOLLOWING AMODIAQUINE PLUS ARTESUNATE ADMINISTRATION

Amodiaquine and artesunate are two antimalarial drugs sold in combination as Larimal . This drug is a very effective artemisinin-base combination. This study was to access the effects of amodiaquine and artesunate combination on the histology of the cerebellum. Twenty adult Wistar rats weighing between 150-180g were divided into four groups (A, B, C and D) of five animals each. Group A served as the control and the animals received distilled water, while group B received 8.75+2.86mg/kg of amodiaquine and artesunate combination for three days, group C received 8.75+2.86mg/kg of amodiaquine and artesunate combination for six days and group D received 17.50+5.71mg/kg of amodiaquine and artesunate combination for three days. Histological sections showed destruction of the Purkinje cortical layers in group B, with increased destructions in groups C and D compared to the control. These results reveal that amodiaquine and artesunate combination causes histological alterations, which were dose and time dependent and these may result in cerebellar dysfunction.