Abstract

Malaria is an infectious disease of the blood caused by parasites called plasmodium, which infect red blood cells and are spread by mosquitoes. It is an endemic disease in Nigeria and many other African countries. Its prevalence is as follows: it affects 3.3 billion people in 106 countries worldwide. About 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa account for 90 percent of global malaria deaths. It is the second leading cause of death in from infectious diseases after HIV/AIDS. The drugs recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the treatment and prevention of Malaria are the Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs). They have been proven to be potent, with long lasting effects to effectively clear the plasmodium parasites from the blood system. ACTs are known to be well tolerated by the body in many countries, hence the recommendation by the WHO. The current research was to determine the comparative effects of short-term and prolonged use of two ACTs; (Artemether/Lumefantrine and Artesunate/Amodiaquine) on the reproductive parameters in male wistar rats. The research determined the effects of the drugs on the various male reproductive hormones on administration of the drugs for 3 days (short-term) and for 6 days (prolonged use). Results showed that the ACTs did not have any significant/deteriorative effect on the male reproductive parameters in the rats when used for short and long prolonged. It therefore implies that short-term and prolonged use of the two ACTs does not have deteriorative effect on male reproductive parameters. It however does not give a license for the drugs to be indiscriminately used and abused. It is only a guide to medical practitioners to consider repeating treatment on patients in cases where the parasites are not completely cleared from the system after first episode of treatment.

Keywords

plasmodium, acts, reproductive parameters, hormones, artemisinin, malaria, gonadotropin, monoamine oxidase, luteinizing hormone, combination therapy, Falciparum malaria, pyrimethamine, testosterone, cognitive function, fatigue, depression