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Enhancement of the antimalarial effect of chloroquine by chloropheniramine in vivo
Author(s) -
A. Sowunmi,
A. M. J. Oduola,
Olumide Ogundahunsi,
L.A. Salako
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3156.1998.00212.x
Subject(s) - chloroquine , plasmodium falciparum , malaria , pharmacology , in vivo , cure rate , medicine , in vitro , immunology , biology , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology
Summary The efficacy of chloroquine and chloroquine plus chloropheniramine, a histamine H 1 receptor blocker which reverses chloroquine insensitivity in Plasmodium falciparum in vitro , was studied in 96 children with acute symptomatic uncomplicated falciparum malaria. The chloroquine/chloropheniramine combination produced a significantly higher cure rate than chloroquine alone and cured 77% of children with chloroquine treatment failures. Children with chloroquine treatment failure had mean plasma chloroquine concentrations above the minimum therapeutic concentration for the area. Chloroquine concentrations in plasma and red blood cells and ratio of red cell to plasma chloroquine concentrations on days 3 and 7 after initiation of therapy were not significantly different in the two groups. Chloroquine/chloropheniramine produces a higher cure rate than chloroquine alone and reverses chloroquine insensitivity in Plasmodium falciparum in vivo . It may be a useful way of optimising the antimalarial effect of chloroquine.