Some of The Biochemical Effects of Artemether on the Reproductive Hormones in Pregnant Wistar Rats.

Artemether and it derivatives have been shown in many studies to be effective in the treatment of both acute  uncomplicated and severe malaria. They induce more rapid reduction of parasetaemia than other antimalarial drugs. This research work studied the effects of intramuscular Artemether on some of the hormones of reproduction in pregnant wistar rats. Twelve (12) pregnant rats were divided equally and randomly into one treatment and one control groups. The experimental animals in the treatment group were administered intramuscularly with 0.09ml of Artemether while those in the control group received phosphate buffered sal ine intramuscularly. Administration was done for seven days. Twenty four hour after the last administration, all the experimental animals were sacrificed using cervical dislocation. From the outcome of the study, it was observed that all the reproductive hormones analyzed were relatively lower in the animals in the treatment group treated with intramuscular Artemether compared with those in the control group. It was concluded that Artemether is embryo-toxic, causing abortion in the pregnant Wistar rats that received it.