Dihydroartemisinin-Stimulated Hyperplasia of Rat Lung Smooth Muscles

Problem statement: Dihydroartemisinin was shown to produce two types of inhibitory effects on the cardiac muscles of rats. It was also shown to stimulate haemopoiesis in the lungs, liver, spleen, intestine and kidney of rats. This study attempted to find out the nature of the effect of oral dihydroartemisinin on the lungs of Wistar albino rats. Approach: The effects of dihydroartemisinin on the tissues of the lungs of wistar albino rats were investigated with five doses of Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) administered for 5 days by oral intubation. The five tested doses were 1 mg kg^-1, a repeated dose of 1, 2, 60 and 80 mg kg^-1 DHA. Results: Histopathological examination of the tissue micrographs of the lungs of the dihydroartemisinin treated rats showed that in comparism with those of the controls, DHA had no adverse effects on the tissues of the lungs of the rats but rather produced a direct stimulatory effect on the smooth muscles of the lungs. This stimulation caused hyperplasia of these tissues which was observable histologically in tissue micrographs of the lungs. These effects of dihydroartemisinin on the tissues of the lungs of Wistar albino rats were dose, repetition and time dependent. Conclusion: These growth hormone-like stimulatory effects of dihydroartemisinin on the smooth muscles of the lungs suggest that DHA enhanced the functioning capacity of the lungs of the DHA-treated rats. These results suggest that dihydroartemisinin has possible respiration enhancement effects.