Effect of chloroquine on hepatic heme-oxygenase during Plasmodium berghei infection in mice

Hepatic heme-oxygenase and heme levels were monitored during Plasmodium berghei infection and chloroquine treatment in Swiss albino mice. A progressive increase in heme-oxygenase and heme levels was noticed with the rise in parasitemia. Further, chloroquine treatment did not result in any change towards normal heme-oxygenase and heme content, when they were assayed a week after cessation of drug treatment. Chloroquine treatment of non-parasitized and parasitized mice resulted in significant loss of the enzyme activity after about 6 weeks.