title: Oral artesunate prevents Plasmodium berghei Anka infection in mice.
abstract: Artesunate, a semi-synthetic derivative of a naturally occurring anti-malarial artemisinin was compared with chloroquine in C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei Anka (PbA). A 7-day oral administration of artesunate prevented parasitaemia at 10 mg/kg/day. However, recrudescence of parasitaemia and cerebral malaria occurred upon cessation of treatment followed by death within 28 days. However, a 14-day course of artesunate (100 mg/kg/day) prevented completely the development of parasitaemia and cerebral malaria with a survival of more than 60-days as did 10 mg/kg/day chloroquine. These data demonstrate that oral artesunate inhibits PbA and prevents cerebral malaria, but needs to be administered at high dose and for prolonged time to eradicate PbA infection in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Bonginkosi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gumede
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Folb
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ryffel
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077332:Artesunate; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D000077332:Artesunate; D002738:Chloroquine