DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i02.071

Pages: 897-900

The effects of nevirapine and efavirenz on methaemoglobin concentration and methaemoglobin reductase activity on wistar rats were investigated. Ninety rats with average body weight 100 grams were allowed to acclimatize for two weeks and were distributed into two groups. Drugs at dosage 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8mg/l00g body weightof nevirapine; and 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2mg/l00g body weightof efavirenz were administered orally by intubation. Blood samples were collected from the experimental animals by cardiac puncture. Spectrophometric methods were used to ascertain the methhaemoglobin concentrations and the activity of NADH methaemoglobin reductase (NADH MR). The results revealed that both drugs increased methaemoglobin concentrations. The increase from 1.50±0.00 to 2.22±0.04 on the 21st day in the presence of nevirapine was significant (p<0.05), while efavirenz cause a non-significant increase throughout the experiment. Methaemoglobin reductase activity decreased significantly (p<0.05) from 5.46±0.80 to 4.74±1.09, 5.51±1.03 to 4.74±0.15 and 5.48±0.11 to 4.73±1.03 in the 7th , 14th and 21st days respectively week respectively in the presence of nevirapine, while the decrease due to efavirenz was not significant (p<0.05). Thus, to an extent both drugs adversely affected erythrocytes’s ability to maintain haemoglobin in its oxygen carrying state.