ABSTRACT
This research work
evaluated “the Histomorphological Effects of Quinine and Triple Antiretroviral
Regimen on fetal cerebellum of Albino Wistar Rats”. Forty female wistar rats
weighing between 180-220g were sorted into eight groups with 5 rats each whose
estrous cycles where monitored. Sexually active male of the same strain was
added into each group to ensure fertilization. Vaginal smear from each of the
females was collected following overnight mating by putting few drops of saline
in vagina and recollecting and checks for spermatozoa under microscope. The
present of sperm in the vaginal smear indicated day zero of pregnancy and
administered started on day 7. Group 1 was taken as the control group and was
administered with distilled water. Group 2-8 were the experimentals, Group 2-4
were given 10mg/kg, 20mg/kg and 30mg/kg body weight of quinine hypochloride
injections intraperitoneally respectively eight (8) hourly for seven days.
Group 5 animals were administered 17.1mg/kg body weight of the triple
antiretroviral regimen orally respectively for 7 days. Groups 6-8 were
administered concomitantly 17.1mg/kg triple antiretroviral regimen daily +
Quinine 10mg.kg 8 hourly, 17.7mg/kg of triple antiretroviral regimen daily +
quinine 20mg/kg body weight 8 hourly and 17.7mg/kg of triple antiretroviral
regimen + quinine 30mg/kg body weight 8
hourly for 7 days respectively. At the end of the experiment, the rats were
euthanized to remove the fetuses and each fetus was sacrificed to harvest the
cerebellum for histological analysis. The result revealed a significant
(p>0.05) reduction in the fetal body weight and placental weight following
administration of quinine, antiretroviral combination drugs and more
significant (p>0.05) reduction was observed in quinine and antiretroviral combination
drugs co-administration treated groups dose dependently compared with the
control group. This is suggestive of intrauterine growth retardation caused by
these drugs. In these results, it was observed that the administration of
quinine and antiretroviral combination drug produced notable distortions to the
cytoarchitecture of the fetal cerebellum within the experimental groups with
the quinine and antiretroviral drugs co-administration treated groups showing a
more severe degeneration dose dependently.