ALTERATION IN PLASMA AND HEPATIC GLUCOSE LEVELS INDUCED BY PLASMODIUM BERGHEI INFECTION IN EXPERIMENTAL MICE

Main Article Content

J. C Mordi

Abstract

Malaria poses a grave health problem in both tropical and sub-Saharan Africa. Postulations have connected this disease with hypoglycaemia which adds to its morbidity and mortality. Chloroquine is an anti-malaria drug largely applied in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, the combined consequence of Plasmodium berghei malaria infection and chloroquine treatment on blood and hepatic glucose levels in mice was investigated to ascertain if both act synergistically to cause hypoglycaemia during malaria
chemotherapy. Twenty-one albino mice of four months old and of average weight of 19g (13-25 g) were randomized into three groups (A, B and C) of seven mice each. Group A animals (control) received distilled water and feed only while mice in Group B were infected with P. berghei but were not treated. Group C animals were infected with the parasite and were treated with chloroquine (5mg/kg body weight) for 5 days. Animals were sacrificed on the 6th day of the study after an overnight fast. Blood and hepatic glucose levels were assayed by the glucose oxidase method. Results show that P. berghei infection in mice reduced glucose levels in both blood (7.95 ± 0.61 mmol/L; P>0.05) and hepatic tissues (3.12 ± 0.37 mmol/L; p< 0.05) when compared with values (9.46 ± 1.32 mmol/L; 5.04 ± 1.36 mmol/ L, respectively) obtained from the uninfected mice. P. berghei infected mice treated with chloroquine had blood and hepatic glucose levels of 5.86 ± 1.08 mmol/L and 4.59 ± 0.6l mmol/L, respectively. Evidence indicates that chloroquine treatment of P. berghei malaria infection in mice further reduced the amounts of glucose when compared with the values obtained from the infected group that received no treatment. If animal to man extrapolation is permissible, then chloroquine chemotherapy could induce hypoglycaemia.

Article Details

How to Cite
Mordi, J. C. (2022). ALTERATION IN PLASMA AND HEPATIC GLUCOSE LEVELS INDUCED BY PLASMODIUM BERGHEI INFECTION IN EXPERIMENTAL MICE. NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT, 18(1). Retrieved from https://delsunjse.com/index.php/njse/article/view/54
Section
Articles