title: Effect of chronic khat (Catha edulis, Forsk) use on outcome of Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection in Swiss albino mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to explore effects of khat (Catha edulis) on outcome of rodent malaria infection and its anti-plasmodial activities on Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Female Swiss albino mice were orally treated with crude khat (Catha edulis) extracts (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) on a daily basis for 4 weeks prior to PbA infection. Physical, clinical, hematological, biochemical and histo-pathological features of the mice were assessed. In addition, in vivo anti-plasmodial activities of khat were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The finding of this study showed that khat use was strongly associated with increment of levels of liver and kidney biomarkers, leucopenia, severe anemia, rise in level of inflammation biomarkers: C-reactive protein (CRP), uric acid (UA), increased monocyte-lymphocyte count ratio (MLCR), manifestation of cerebral malaria symptoms such as ataxia, paralysis and deviation of the head but with no pulmonary edema. Significantly lower level of parasitemia (P<0.05), rectal temperature, but, high level of hemoglobin were observed at the early stage of the PbA infection in khat treated mice than the control. With extension of the treatment period, however, drastic increments were observed in parasite load and rectal temperature although there was reduction in hemoglobin (Hb) level. Moreover, khat showed poor anti-plasmodial activity with <10% parasite suppression activity and lack protection against major malaria symptoms. The significant reduction (P<0.01) of hematological parameters during PbA infection strengthen the notion that hematological parameters could be good predictors of severe malaria complications in human.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In mice model treated with khat prior to infection with the rodent malaria parasite, khat was found to worsen manifestation of most malaria complications. Furthermore, the same plant showed poor in vivo anti-plasmodial activity and protection against major malaria symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Technology, College of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. tsigeketema@gmail.com.|Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. tsigeketema@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tsige
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ketema
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. mygemechu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Moti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yohannes
authors.affiliation: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Jimma University Institute of Technology, Jimma, Ethiopia. esayas16@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Esayas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alemayehu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Technology, College of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. aambelu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Argaw
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ambelu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D029754:Catha; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010962:Plasmodium berghei; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014527:Uric Acid; D002097:C-Reactive Protein