Akinlolu Abdulazeez Adelaja, Mathew Temitayo Shokunbi.
The neurotoxic effects of artemether on the cytoarchitecture of the cerebellum of adult male wistar rats (rattus novegicus).
Pak J Pathol Jan ;18(1):25-30.

Introduction: In a 70kg adult man, artemether is given at a total dosage of 480mg for five days in the treatment of malarial. Materials and methods: Using t-test analysis technique at 95% confidence interval i.e t < 0.05 and P - value = 2.26, no significant difference was observed between the average brain and cerebellar weight, the average width of cerebellar cortical layers, the density and the average size of Purkinje Cells in the control groups C1 and C2 and the experimental group E. In the present study, there were no gross or morphological differences between the two groups of animals (control and experimental groups) on day 7 at the completion of experimental procedure. A significant statistical increase in average body weight was observed in the control groups C1 (which received only standard diet and water) and C2 (which received 1.23mg/kg/bodyweight of normal saline intramuscularly in addition to standard diet and water) from 140­ + 19.65g on day 1 to 146 + 19.90g on day 7 and 151 + 12.0g on day 1 to 156.2 + 12.2g on Day 7 respectively. Results: There was a non-statistically significant apparent reduction in body weight in the experimental group E, (which received intramuscular injection of 1.23mg/kg/bodyweight of artemether), from 160 + 9.0g on day 1 to 157.4 + 8.0g on day 7. The rats in the control groups CI and C2 displayed normal balance and co-ordination, while rats in the experimental group E, showed abnormalities of balance and co-ordination. Conclusion: This study investigated the effects of corresponding 1.23mg/kg/bodyweight of artemether for a period of seven days on the functions of rats after drug administration.

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