ABSTRACT
Background: The incidence of cancer seems to be on the increase globally, irrespective of the etiology. Drugs and related agents have been identified to cause cancer by the induction of cancer markers. This study therefore assessed the possibility of cancer marker induction by Artemether/Lumefantrine in Albino rats. Method: Healthy albino rats were selected after acclimatization for two weeks;they were grouped into the categories of induction and drug exposure. Induction: Diethylstilbestrol 0.2mg/kg (positive control), mesterolone 5mg/kg (positive control), olive oil(negative control), Artemether/Lumefantrine (1.7/12mg/kg). These drugs were all administered orally using orogastric tube for a period of 28 days. The animals were anaesthesized using chloroform and sacrificed. Blood samples was withdrawn from the abdominal aorta and heart of each rat and transferred to a pre-labelled plain container, centrifuged for the extraction of seral samples. The seral samples were assayed for the possibility of cancer marker induction or inhibition by Artemether/Lumefantrine. Results: The following mean concentrations ± SEM were obtained after analysis using a microplate reader. The result for prostate specific antigen (PSA) (Prostate cancer) test is as follows: 0.81±0.15 ng/dl quarter therapeutic dose ¼ TD, 0.78±0.17 ng/dl half therapeutic dose ½TD, 0.75±0.16ng/dl Therapeutic dose TD. The result for Carbohydrate Antigen 15-3 (CA 15- 3)(Breast cancer) test is as follows: 4.43±0.86 ug/dl quarter therapeutic dose ¼ TD, 4.31±0.80 ug/dl half therapeutic dose ½ TD, 2.22±1.43 ug/dl Therapeutic dose TD. The result for Carbohydrate Antigen 125 (CA 125) (Ovarian cancer) test is as follows: 1.83±0.28 ug/dl quarter therapeutic dose ¼ TD, 1.38±0.40 ug/dl half therapeutic dose ½ TD, 0.58 ±0.26 ug/dl Therapeutic dose TD. The result for Alpha fetoprotein AFP(Liver cancer) test is as follows: 6.21±0.14ng/dl quarter therapeutic dose ¼ TD, 5.15±0.21 ng/dl half therapeutic dose ½ TD, 1.52±0.28 ng/dl Therapeutic dose TD. PSA, elevations were seen in the order ¼TD> ½TD>TD. CA 125, elevations were seen in the order of ¼ TD>½TD>TD. CA 15-3, elevations were seen in the order of ¼TD, ½TD, TD. AFP, elevations were seen in the order of ¼ TD, ½TD, TD. None of the animals died in any of the groups during the course of the study. Conclusion: This study showed that higher elevations of the various cancer markers were observed at subtherapeutic doses (¼TD and ½ TD) than therapeutic dose (TD), therefore individuals that may be on Artemether/Lumefantrine are advised to adhere completely to therapeutic dose because of lesser consequences of cancer marker induction as seen in this study.
