Histological studies on the retina and cerebellum of Wistar rats treated with Arteether™

Abstract Introduction: Arteether™, a derivative of artemisinin, is among the recent drugs that have given renewed hope for combating malarial menace. The present study investigated the effects of arteether™ on the histology of the retina and cerebellum of Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty adult albino Wistar rats weighing 150-200 g, were randomly divided into four groups (A, B, C and D) of five animals each and used for this study. Group A rats were given intramuscular (i.m.) arteether™ (3 mg/kg b.w.) daily for 3 days. Group B rats were given i.m. arteether™ (6 mg/kg b.w.) daily for 3 days. Group C rats were also given i. m. of arteether™ (3 mg/kg b. w.) daily for 3 days, and the same dose was repeated at two-weekly intervals for 4 further weeks; while Group D rats which received normal saline (0.9 % w/v, 3 ml/kg b.w.), served as controls. At the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The retina and cerebellum were excised and processed routinely for histopathology changes, using haematoxylin and eosin stain (H & E), as well as Nissl stain. Results: Results obtained showed normal cellular components of the retina and cerebellum in all groups, and no cyto-pathological changes were observed. Conclusion: Thus, this study showed that under light microscopic examination, therapeutic doses of arteether™ caused no significant cyto-pathologic changes in the retina and cerebellum of Wistar rats.