Pancreotoxicity of Chloroquine in the Rabbit

Abstract

The Histologic and biochemical changes produced by chloroquine phosphate in doses 5, 10, and 1Smg/kg over 30, 60, and 90 days in the albino (n = 10) and pigmented (n = 22) rabbits, with mean weight value of 1.46+0.44 kg and age mean value of 9+0.25 months, were investigated in the college of medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. Histopathology results showed chloroquine- induced lesions in the pancreas. Some pancreatic islet cells showed partial or total destruction. At day 90 the pancreas also showed fatty infiltration of the stroma, arterial attenuation in the peritoneum close to the pancreas as well: as increased capilarization at dose 15mg/kg in some instances. Biochemical analysis showed statistically significant (P< 0.05) increased mean values of tests over the control. This increase in sugar levels was dose and not time dependent at different periods of the study. This result has shown that the hyperglycaemia or diabetes mellitus was chloroquine induced suggesting that chloroquine is diabetogenic in experimentally induced rabbits. The histological findings in the present study were in agreement with biochemical observations. One should be wary of indiscriminate consumption of chloroquine.