Abstract
Background: Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis (P. y. nigeriensis) produces lethal malaria infection in Swiss albino mice. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide have been implicated in the pathogenesis of malaria. Objective: Study the effect of the chloroquine treatment on hepatic oxidative stress and antioxidant defense indices in multiple drug resistant (MDR) P. y. nigeriensis infected mice. Methods: Mice were divided into four groups. Normal group, chloroquine treated normal group, P. y. nigeriensis infected group, and P. y. nigeriensis infected mice treated with chloroquine group (10 mg/kg body weight, ip). Results: P. y. nigeriensis infection resulted in a significant decrease in the hepatic protein levels and caused a significant increase in the hepatic oxidative stress indices such as xanthine oxidase and lipid peroxidation and also art increase in the antioxidant defense indices viz, veduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione reductase, but a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. The chloroquine treatment of P. y. nigeriensis (MDR strain) infected mice did not completely cure blood parasitemia, but resulted in a decrease of blood parasitemia. This was accompanied by decrease in hepatic oxidative stress indices and an associated change in the antioxidant defense indices towards normalization. Conclusion : chloroquine therapy alone is not sufficient to treat the malaria infection caused by multiple drug resistant strain of P. y. nigeriensis. Therefore, there is a need to develop newer antimalarials which could act alone or in combination with traditional antimalarials to be effective against drug resistant malarial parasites.