Histopathological studies in two strains of semi-immune mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA after chronic exposure.
To mimic a human malaria infection in the endemic condition, two strains of mice (Balb/c and CBA) were infected and treated several times to generate so-called semi-immune status. As previously reported, neither mice (Balb/c and CBA) strain showed cerebral malaria, even in the susceptible C57BL/6 (B6). The significant difference between the mice strains in our previous study was the rate of destruction of uninfected red blood cells (uRBCs) at infection. After the established repeated cycles of infection and treatment and the final challenge with 10(4) Plasmodium berghei ANKA until minimum Hb, Balb/c and CBA mice were sacrificed. The spleen, liver, brain, kidney, lung, heart, and muscle were removed, stained with hematoxylin-eosin and analyzed with light microscopy. Previous observation suggested that Balb/c destroyed uRBC at much higher rate than the other strains although the parasitemia was very low. Pathological investigation carried out in this study revealed that this destruction was mainly contributed by the uRBCs as no parasite sequestration was observed in any of the organs. However, malaria pigment deposition was observed in spleen and liver of all the semi-immune mice strains. This histopathological study in the severe malaria anemia model, which is difficult to conduct in humans, will be helpful in taking into account different responses to malaria infection when designing therapeutic interventions and vaccine studies.
Helegbe
Gideon Kofi
GK
Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan. kofigidi@yahoo.com
Yanagi
Tetsuo
T
Senba
Masachika
M
Huy
Nguyen Tien
NT
Shuaibu
Mohammed Nasir
MN
Yamazaki
Akiko
A
Kikuchi
Mihoko
M
Yasunami
Michio
M
Hirayama
Kenji
K
D000825:Animal Structures / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008288:Malaria / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008853:Microscopy; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000473:pathology