Abstract

Okey A. OJIAKO * and Harrison U. NWANJO

The effects of co-administration of oral chloroquine with paracetamol or with ibuprofen on renal function were studied using 6 groups of New Zealand White rabbits. Group 1, the control group received only feed and water. The other groups (Groups 2-6) either received single therapies of paracetamol (10 mg/kg of body weight every 6 hours), ibuprofen (20 mg/kg of body weight/day) or chloroquine (5 mg/kg of body weight/day) or combined therapies of chloroquine and paracetamol or chloroquine and ibuprofen for 8 days. Measurements of serum urea, creatinine and electrolyte concentrations were used to assess renal function in these animals. The chloroquine-treated group had a significant (p<0.05) decrease in serum sodium and potassium concentrations and a significant increase (p<0.05) in serum urea and creatinine concentrations when compared with the corresponding values of the control group. The groups treated with combined therapy (groups 5 and 6) had significant increases (P<0.05) in serum urea and creatinine concentrations, and significant decreases in sodium and potassium levels when compared with the chloroquine-treated group (group 4) . These results confirm that acute administration of chloroquine impairs kidney function and further shows that this renotoxicity is exacerbated when chloroquine is co-administered with paracetamol or with ibuprofen, two common drugs used to manage fever.