The Roles of Betulinic Acid on Circulating Concentrations of Creatine Kinase and Immunomodulation in Mice Infected With Chloroquine-Susceptible and Resistant Strains of Plasmodium Berghei
Abstract Complete malarial therapy depends largely on the immunological and inflammatory response of the host to the invading potentials of malarial parasite. In this study, we evaluated the roles of betulinic acid on immunological response, anti-inflammatory potentials and concentrations of creatine kinase in mice infected with chloroquine susceptible (NK 65) and resistant (ANKA) strains of Plasmodium berghei. Serum Interlukins 1β and 6 (IL-1 β, IL-6), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), immunoglobulins G and M (IgG and IgM), C-reactive protein (CRP) and creatine kinas (CK). Furthermore, liver marker enzymes; aspartate, alanine aminotransferases (AST and ALT, respectively) and gamma glutammyl transferase (GGT) were determined. The results showed that betulinic acid dose dependently decreased IL-1 β, IL-6, TNFα and CRP relative to the infected control. The IgG and IgM levels significantly increased in both models while CK decreased insignificantly in both models. Serum AST, ALT and GGT significantly decreased compared to the infected control. These results showed that betulinic acid has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and mitigating effects on malarial infection in mice. Furthermore, the down-regulatory effect of betulinic acid on CK is indicative of decrease in muscle injury which is a major pathological concern in malarial infection and treatment.