ABSTRACT

Malaria is an enormous public health problem worldwide and kills one to two million people every year, mostly children residing in Africa . And the aim of this study is to determine the impact of combined treatment with Artesunate and Chloroquine on the white blood cell count of plasmodium berghei infected albino mice. And to compare and observe effect of combined treatment of chloroquine and artesunate on white blood cell count of P. berghei infected albino mice.

   A total of 15 adult albino mice weighing between 21 to 25g were obtained from the Animal House in Delta State University Abraka, Delta State. The animals were randomly divided into three groups: I, II, and III. Group I, II, and III, were inoculated with the malaria parasites. Group I served as negative control and it was treated with 5% alcohol regularly for 5 days and Group II received daily doses of 4mg/kg for day 1 and 2mg/kg for day 2 to day 5 of Artesunate Combination Therapy (ACT), while Group III served as positive control and it received chloroquine syrup (10mg/kg for day 1 and day 2 and 5mg/kg for day 3) once daily for 3 days .

    The result of this study show that group I mice which received 5% alcohol daily for 5 days had the highest mean of white blood cell count (14800.00±  1760.00), this could be due to the fact that 5% alcohol had no effect on the malaria parasite. The only logical conclusion from this observation is that plasmodium berghei parasite thrived in these  mice to cause a more extensive destruction of white blood cells in them than for the other groups.

         Group II and III mice had lower mean of white blood cell volume ( 4340.00 ±  273.00 and 4300.00± 3600.00) than that of group I. It is observed that the mean white blood cell volume of group II that had P. berghei infected mice treated with combined artesunate and chloroquine and group III treated with only chloroquine had no significant difference ( p < 0.05.)

           In conclusion, the treatment with artesunate and chloroquine combination therapy on plasmodium berghei infected albino mice has a significant difference on white blood cell count.

                                                TABLE OF CONTENT

Certification ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ _ i

Dedication   ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ii

Acknowledgment ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ __iii

Table of content  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___iv

Abstract   ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ _____v

                    CHAPTER ONE

Introduction  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___

Objective of study___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___  

Significant of study___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___ 

                    CHAPTER TWO

Literature review ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___  

Malaria  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___

Cause ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___

Signs and symptoms ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___ 

Life cycle ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___ 

Diagnosis ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___   

Complications ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___

Classification ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___

Prevention  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ ___

Malaria parasite ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ _

Chloroquine and artesunate combination therapy  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ _

                     CHAPTER THREE

Materials and methods ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ _

Experimental Design   ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ _   

Malaria parasite ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ _

Drug administration  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ _

Blood collection from animal  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Laboratory analysis procedure  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

Statistical analysis ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ _

                      CHAPTER FOUR

Result  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ __ ___  ____

Table 1 ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ __ ___  ____

Table 2 ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ __ ___  ____

Table 3 ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ __ ___  ____

Table 4 ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ __ ___  ____

                       CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ __ ___  _

Conclusion  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ __ ___ __

Recommendation ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ ___

Reference  ___ ___  ___  ___  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____ __ __ ___  __