Anatomie et physiologie : recherches en cours
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Effect of Malaria Parasitaemia and Antimalarial/Antioxidant Treatment on Body Weight and Some Reproductive Hormones of Male Mice

Naiho AO

This study examined the effect(s) of malaria parasitemia and coartem/vitamin E co-administration on serum Testosterone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels in male mice. Twenty-eight (28) adult male mice were procured, acclimatized for two (2) weeks and randomly selected into four (4) groups of seven (7) mice per group. Group 1 (Control) received standard mice diet and water ad libitum, while group 2 mice were infected with malaria (Plasmodium berghei) and left untreated. Groups 3 and 4 were inoculated with malaria (Plasmodium berghei); then treated with coartem and coartem+vitamin E respectively. After three (3) weeks of administration of test substance, the mice blood samples were obtained from mice (for each group) and assayed for serum FSH and Testosterone levels. Statistical comparison was then conducted (using the student t-test) against those of the control group to ascertain the effects of the changes due to coartem and/or antioxidant vitamin E co-administration to Plasmodium berghei infected mice. The study found a statistically significant decrease in serum testosterone levels of male mice after inoculation with Plasmodium berghei. This decrease was noticed more even with coartem administration but showed non-significant amelioration with coartem/vitamin E co-administration, implicative of a possible effect in fecundity levels of male mice. Levels of FSH was significantly increased in infected and untreated male mice, but following treatment with coartem and/or antioxidant vitamin E, there was a reversal to about the same levels as control. Comparative results on the body weights of mice also revealed a drastic fall due to infection with Plasmodium berghei. Further studies aimed at corroborating and extrapolating the results of this work are also recommended.