ABSTRACT

In response to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, in-vitro studies and clinical observations have provided evidence to support the use of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 leading to a surge in their therapeutic application. Blood is widely used in toxicological research as an indicator of physiological and pathological changes. The aim of this study was to determine the combined effect of co-administration of ivermectin and HCQ on blood parameters. In this study, an experimental design was adopted using eighty-four wistar rats randomly divided into seven groups (Groups A to G). Rats were administered HCQ, Ivermectin and a combination of both therapeutic agents; the rats were sacrificed after drug administration for a period of five, fourteen and twenty-eight days for analysis of blood parameters. Findings of this study revealed that HCQ and ivermectin interfered with hemoglobin concentration, WBC count, RBC count and PCV when compared to control. On the other hand, platelet counts were significantly higher at low doses of the therapeutic agents and significantly reduced when HCQ and ivermectin were co-administered at high doses. Furthermore, hematological indices showed elevated levels of MCV in group D (61.73 ± 0.21fl), E (59.77 ± 0.06fl) and G (60.63 ± 0.12fl) while significantly higher MCH values were observed in groups D (21.83 ± 0.35pg) and E (22.30 ± 0.30pg). Most of these findings are indicative of iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B deficiency induced anemia and hemolytic anemia possibly in response to drug toxicity.