Cardiotoxicity of free and encapsulated artemether in cardiomyocytes: contractility and transient calcium analysis (original) (raw)

Artemether (ATM), a first-line treatment for severe malaria, has been linked to cardiotoxic effects, prompting the development of nanocapsulated formulations to mitigate these risks. This study evaluates the cardiotoxicity of both free and encapsulated ATM on murine cardiomyocytes, revealing that free ATM significantly impairs contractility and calcium handling, which are indicative of potential heart failure. In contrast, nanocapsulation effectively protects cardiomyocytes from ATM's toxic effects, underscoring the importance of formulation in reducing drug-induced cardiotoxicity.