Acute administration of co-artesiane induces oxidative stress in the testes of adult male Wistar rats

Co-artesiane is an artemether-lumefantrine combination therapy that is used in the treatment of malaria. In this work we studied the toxicological effect of this drug with reference to seminal and biochemical parameters of the male reproductive system of wistar rats. Twenty (20) adult male rats were divided into four groups of five rats per group. Group A was administered a single dose (4 mg/kg/bw) of Co-artesiane, Group B was administered double dose (8 mg/kg/bw) of Co-artesiane and Group C received 10 mg/kg/bw of the drug for a period of 3 days. Group D served as control and received physiologic saline. In each group body weight, testicular weight, sperm count, motility and viability as well as oxidative stress status were assessed by evaluating the activities of reduced glutathione, Glutathione S-transferase, catalase, super oxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA). The mean sperm count, motility and viability in rats treated with Co-artesiane were reduced when compared with controls. Biochemical analyses showed increase in the activities of oxidative stress markers in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that the graded dose of Co-artesiane® elicit depletion of antioxidant defense system and induced oxidative stress in the rats