Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) has been shown to be efficacious and rapid in malaria parasite clearance and malaria treatment. The discovery that dihydroartemisinin has anti-cancer effects suggested that dihydroartemisinin may have other beneficial or adverse systemic effects. We investigated the effects of dihydroartemisinin on the heart of Wistar albino fats.. The effects of four dosages of oral dihydroartemisinin on the heart of Wistar albino rats were investigated. The dosages of DHA administered were 1mg/kg, 2mg/kg, 60mg/kg and 80mg/kg. In a fifth experiment, the 1mg/kg dosage of DHA was administered twice to a group of rats with a one week period of rest between the two administrations. The results of the study showed that DHA produced dose, repetition and time dependent increases in the caliber of the blood vessels of the coronary circulation. These findings suggest that dihydroartemisinin might be useful for the management of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, angina pectoris and other conditions involving narrowing of coronary arteries.
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