title: Plasma nicotinic acid level in chloroquine treated rats.
abstract: The effect of chloroquine phosphate on plasma nicotinic acid levels in adult male albino rats was investigated. Pyrogen free chloroquine phosphate in physiological saline was administered subcutaneously to rats in a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight daily for eleven succeeding days in the treatment group. A control group was given equal volume of physiological saline daily for eleven succeeding days. Nicotinic acid concentration in the plasma was determined [1] Plasma nicotinic acid level was found to be significantly reduced (P < 0.01) throughout the duration of treatment. No change was observed in the control group. The significant reduction of plasma nicotinic acid level observed in this study may not be unrelated to competitive inhibition of the enzyme tryptophan dioxygenase by chloroquine phosphate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Kukoyi
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Alemnji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001711:Biotransformation; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D008297:Male; D009525:Niacin / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism; D014366:Tryptophan Oxygenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D009525:Niacin; C023676:chloroquine diphosphate; D002738:Chloroquine; D014364:Tryptophan; D014366:Tryptophan Oxygenase