ABSTRACT
Effect a synthetic Aluminium-Magnesium Silicate (AMS) has on chloroquine was tested. Thirty, Plasmodium berghei-infected mice, in three experimental groups (7 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg) of 10 mice each, were treated. Two subgroups, in each experiment, were treated with chloroquine and with a chloroquine-AMS drug formulation, respectively. Five of the infected mice served as controls. Parasitaemia (%), Haemoglobin concentration (Hb), Red Blood Cells (RBC), rectal temperature and body weight were assessed. Parasitaemia of subgroups treated at 7 mg/kg were higher than that of the control. Also, at 7 mg/kg, there was mortality with chloroquine (20%) and with the chloroquine-AMS drug (80%). At 5 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg, the AMS significantly (P < 0.05) improved ability of chloroquine to reduce plamodial parasitaemia, from 2.46 ± 0.21 to 1.57 ± 0.25 and from 3.82 ± 0.06 to 2.12 ± 0.08. It also significantly (P < 0.05) improved means of Hb and RBC from 12.25 ± 0.27 and 88.99 ± 5.72 to 12.68 ± 0.18 and 92.91 ± 4.01 and from 10.18 ± 3.00 and 63.39 ± 18.02 to 12.98 ± 0.47 and 95.23 ± 5.32. Body weight increased at 5 mg/kg, from 29.06 ± 1.95 to 32.66 ± 2.10 kg (P < 0.05) while at 3 mg/kg, rectal temperature reduced from 37.35 ± 0.32 to 36.84oC ± 0.23oC (P < 0.05). These results suggest, AMS worsened chloroquine toxicity at 7 mg/kg but potentiated its antiplasmodial activities at the lower doses.