title: Effect of sodium citrate based anticoagulants on the growth activity of malaria parasites.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of anticoagulants based on sodium citrate on the growth activity of malaria parasites.
  
  
  METHODS
  The parasites were treated with 3 anticoagulants (ACD, CD and SC), respectively, and the parasitemia was determined to measure the effect of the anticoagulants on the growth of the parasites. Unsynchronized Plasmodium falciparum was treated with the anticoagulants at different concentrations for 3 h at 37 degrees C. Treated erythrocytes were mixed with normal parasites or treated parasites with normal erythrocytes, which was followed by parasitemia determination of the two cultures to determine the cell target of the anticoagulants. Stage-synchronized parasites (ring, trophozoite and schizont) were treated as above to investigate the stage target. P. berghei was also treated with anticoagulants and inoculated in mice to detect the effect of anticoagulants on the animal malaria parasite by counting the parasitemia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 3 anticoagulants inhibited falciparum parasite growth and ACD had the strongest potency. The treatments of the erythrocyte and the parasite with anticoagulants respectively showed that the anticoagulants targeted the parasites rather than normal erythrocytes. Stage-synchronized parasite treatment suggested anticoagulants primarily inhibited schizonts. The effect of anticoagulants on P. berghei was similar to that on P. falciparum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ACD showed the most significant inhibitive effect on the growth of malaria parasites and SC was the best anticoagulant based on sodium citrate for malarial experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Etiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xian-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shu-mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cai-fang
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002951:Citrates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000077559:Sodium Citrate
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D002951:Citrates; D000077559:Sodium Citrate