title: Artemisinin induces hormonal imbalance and oxidative damage in the erythrocytes and uterus but not in the ovary of rats.
abstract: Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug previously reported to induce neurotoxicity and embryotoxicity in animal models. This study investigated the erythrocytes and reproductive toxicity potentials of artemisinin in female rats. Animals were randomly divided into four study groups of eight rats each. The control group (group I) received corn oil, the vehicle, while groups II-IV were orally exposed to 7, 35 and 70 mg kg(-1) day(-1) of artemisinin, respectively, by gastric intubation for 7 consecutive days. Subsequently, we evaluated the impact of artemisinin on the endocrine environment and selected markers of oxidative damage and antioxidant status of the erythrocytes, ovary and uterus. Artemisinin significantly increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities in erythrocytes and uterus of rats compared with control group (p < 0.05). However, artemisinin did not alter ovarian MDA, H2O2, glutathione levels and catalase activity, while ovarian and uterine histological assessment revealed absence of visible lesions. Moreover, artemisinin significantly decreased follicle-stimulating hormone and increased progesterone levels compared with control (p < 0.05). Thus, these data suggest that in the absence of malarial parasite infection, artemisinin induced hormonal imbalance and oxidative damage in the erythrocytes and uterus but spared the ovary of rats.
authors.affiliation: Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria olatunde_farombi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Farombi
authors.affiliation: Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Abolaji
authors.affiliation: Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Adedara
authors.affiliation: Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maduako
authors.affiliation: Drug Metabolism and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Omodanisi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000633:toxicity*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000633:toxicity*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D004967:Estrogens; D011374:Progesterone; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D011388:Prolactin; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; C031327:artemisinin; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Artemisinin antimalarial; drug abuse; erythrocytes; hormonal imbalance; uterine oxidative damage