title: Plasmodium yoelii: assessment of production and role of nitric oxide during the early stages of infection in susceptible and resistant mice.
abstract: There is conflicting evidence regarding the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the process of resistance against blood-stage malaria parasites. In this study, we used two strains of mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii 17XL in order to assess the NO production profile and its possible role during the early stage of malaria infection. We found a greater elevation of NO production associated with a sharp increase in the levels of IFN-gamma in infected DBA/2 mice, compared with infected BALB/c mice. This difference was associated with relatively lower parasitemia, a higher constituent ratio of infected reticulocytes, and greater survival in DBA/2 mice. Endogenous IFN-gamma driving Th1 immunity was responsible for NO production. Moreover, schizonts treated in vitro with NO donors caused a delayed infection to BALB/c mice in a dose and time-dependent manner. These data, thus, suggest that NO may play an inhibitory role in Plasmodium infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, No. 92 Beier Road, Heping District, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Qing-hui
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying-jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ji-chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ya-ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010967:Plasmodium yoelii / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007371:Interferon-gamma