Using antimalarial drugs repeatedly results in in vitro liver toxicity

Abstract

Aim
In Africa’s malaria-endemic regions, artesunate/amodiaquine (A/A) and artemether/lumefantrine (A/L) are the antimalarial medications that are most frequently prescribed. Antimalarial medications could be overused if they are self-prescribed based on symptoms rather than a parasitological diagnosis. This investigation looked at potential cytotoxic and oxidative stress effects following three dosage treatments spaced 24 h apart.
Method
Artesunate (50 μM and 100 μM), Amodiaquine (1 μM and 10 μM), Artemether (200 μM and 400 μM), and Lumefantrine (200 μM and 400 μM) were administered to HepG2-derived VL-17A for up to 72 h.
Result
With a downward trend from 24 h to 48 h to 72 h, the study findings showed that repeated administration of these medications greatly reduced cell viability. Additionally, for artemether 200 μM treatment, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased after 24 h and 48 h but considerably decreased after 72 h. The ROS levels in artesunate, amodiaquine, artemether 400 μM, and lumefantrine were also noticeably lower after 72 h.
Conclusion
The results of this experiment show that repeated applications of anti-malaria drugs, A/L and A/A to HepG2 liver cells reduced their viability in a manner that was consistent. These findings have significant implications for those who use antimalarial medications as a preventative measure without a diagnosis of parasite infection.