Abstract

Glutathione S-Transferase Activity of Three Erythrocyte Genotypes of Human Participants Treated with Pyrimethamine/Sulphadoxine and Quinine

Author(s): Paul Chidoka Chikezie

Studies to ascertain levels of erythrocyte glutathione S-transferase (Ery- GST) activity of non-malarious and malariousmale participants of HbAA, HbAS and HbSS erythrocyte genotypes treated with pyrimethamine/ sulphadoxine mixture and quinine were carried out. Incubation of erythrocytes with 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) caused quantitative conjugation of reduced glutathione (GSH) to produce S-(2, 4-dinitrophenyl) glutathione, which formed the bases for the measurement of Ery-GST activity using a spectrophotometer. Blood samples were drawn from treated non-malarious and malarious participants at time intervals of 0, 3, 6 and 18 h and measured for Ery-GST activity. The control values of Ery-GST activity of non-malarious and malarious participants were within the ranges of 3.27 ± 0.13 – 12.50 ± 1.58 IU/gHb and 2.75 ± 0.16 – 12.21 ± 1.20 IU/gHb respectively. Ery-GST activity of malarious participants was significantly (p< 0.05) lower than that of the malarious participants, except that of parasitized HbSS erythrocytes.Generally, Ery-GST activities in the presence of the two antimalarials exhibited a biphasic profile. The first phase showed decreasing levels of Ery-GST activity at t < 6 h following the administration of pyrimethamine/sulphadoxine mixture and quinine to the non-malarious and malarious participants. In the second phase, Ery-GST activity increased when experimental t> 6 h. The overall pattern of Ery-GST activity with in the experimental time (0